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Wilson-Moise Head-To-Head In Battle For Dist. 24 Congressional Seat

MIAMI (CBS4) -- It's tough to unseat a political powerhouse like U.S Congresswoman Frederica Wilson but Dr. Rudolph Moise is not a man who is easily intimidated by a challenge.

Moise is a medical doctor with several medical practices. He also has a law degree, 20 years in the Air Force as a flight surgeon and he has even has acted in movies.

"There comes a time when you want to do the greater good for the good of other people," said Moise. "I've done that as a physician. But I want to do more."

Moise lost to Wilson in 2010 but still maintains he's the right person for the job.

"I think that she has done some good things," he said. "But I think right now with the new district, we need a new type of leadership. Somebody who's been involved in the private sector who can facilitate opportunities for small business and one of the key things in the district is jobs we need jobs. She's never been in the private sector. I've created thousands of jobs for the past 30 years."

Wilson of course believes otherwise.

As a freshman in the U.S. Congress she has a bill to stimulate jobs by giving federal money to local county commissions. Those commissions would then be responsible for creating employment programs throughout the communities.

"The first thing we need to do is make sure that people have a steady job with benefits healthcare a pension," said U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson. "That they can make enough money to afford the American Dream which is a home and they can look forward to sending their children to college."

Wilson caught the political bug more than 20 years ago while she was an elementary school principal. She remembered, at the time, a smelly compost plant was built across the street from her school.

"My students and I, elementary school students, closed that plant down in six months, 27 million dollars and put them out of business," she recalled.

That compelled her to fight for other injustices and launched her into public service.

Both Wilson and Moise are passionate about the Haitian community. Moise was born in Haiti but came to the U.S. at the age of 17. He is endorsed by Haiti's President Michel Martelly.

Wilson remembered helping Haitian women detained at the Krome Detention Center years before she became a politician. She joined up with her sorority sisters to launch a campaign for the release of the Haitian women.

"They let everyone of those women out of Krome and they lived with us, they had to move into our homes," she said.

Wilson has her own presidential endorsement as well. President Barack Obama has given her his support.

Whoever wins the Democratic Primary will ultimately win it all. There is no opposition.

Nearly 60,000 additional voters will have their say on who should head to Washington for the 24th Congressional District. The district's boundaries have been redrawn and stretch from downtown Miami all the way to Pembroke Pines.

Click here for more about Campaign 2012 and Election Day in South Florida.

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