Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)

In 1990, Wilson led a fight to close down a composting plant located near the school, arguing it was an environmental nuisance; on the 2010 campaign trail, she touted the success of her crusade as a decisive moment in her career.

In 1992, she Wilson was elected to the Miami-Dade County School Board. The following year, she founded the 5000 Role Models program, which matches struggling young boys with successful men who can serve as their mentor and encourage them to pursue their education.

Wilson also drew attention for championing a countywide ban on "dirty dancing" at school-sponsored events. She also helped design an African-American history curriculum that became required material in public schools. ''You keep people inferior by not including them in history. It's a way of control," she explained.

In the Florida Legislature

When then-State Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) announced he would run for the state Senate in 1998, Wilson was elected to replace him. Four years later, Meek left his new position to run for the U.S. House - and Wilson once again successfully ran to succeed him. She quickly joined her party's leadership by serving as minority leader pro tempore from 2006 to 2008 and as minority leadership whip starting in 2008.

Wilson again focused on the issue of education. She was best-known for her high-profile battle against Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), a standardized test students must pass to advance to 4th grade and to graduate from high-school. She called for a repeal of FCAT requirements, arguing that the test was flawed, led students to drop out and plunged African-American students in a downward spiral of drug and crime.

She frequently sparred with then-Gov. Jeb Bush (R), organized protests and even called for a boycott of major Florida industries over the issue. She succeeded in getting other tests such as the ACT counted as alternatives for students who fail the FCAT.

Wilson was also active during the outcry over the disappearance of 5-year old Rilya Wilson, a foster child who was not reported missing 15 months by the Florida's Department of Children and Families. Wilson emerged as tough critic of the agency in the national media. "If we really delve into this department, we would find years and years of dysfunction and incompetence," she charged. She went on to champion the Rilya Wilson Act, which mandates that all children aged 3 to 5 who are at risk of abuse or neglect be enrolled in a free full-time education program. Her bill became law in 2003.

2010 House Race

In 2009, Rep. Meek announced he would run for the U.S. Senate rather than seek reelection to Florida's 17th district. In a district that had just given Barack Obama 87 percent of the vote in 2008, it was clear that the next congressman would be decided in the Democratic primary - and the field was accordingly crowded. In the running were Wilson, Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley, wealthy physician Rudolph Moise and two state representatives.

Wilson emerged as a strong contender thanks to the support of a large network of volunteers and to the backing of organized groups like the South Florida AFL-CIO. Moise positioned himself as Wilson's leading opponent by virtue of spending more than $1.4 million of his own money. While Moise presented himself as an outsider, Wilson embraced her legislative experience. "I'm a politician, and I'm proud to be a politician," she said at a debate. Despite being oustpent eight-to-one, she beat Moise 35 to 16 percent; the rest of the vote was split between other candidates.

She easily won the general election with 86 percent of the vote.

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