This year’s race for Florida’ second Congressional district is crowded.
The seat is vacant after incumbent Republican Congressman Neal Dunn declined to seek reelection. In total, eight Republicans and four Democrats are running to replace him.
The district has historically favored Republicans. In 2024, the Republican nominee won the seat with 61.6% of the vote.
Most of those candidates spoke during a candidate forum hosted by the Wakulla Sun Tuesday.
You can watch the full candidate forum here.
Republican Party Candidates
While the GOP office seekers differed on experience and biography, they universally framed the race as a broader ideological battle over the future direction of the country, echoing themes frequently discussed in national Republican politics.
Audie Rowell, a former law enforcement officer and sixth-generation Floridian, said he wants to prioritize Christian values.
“I want to make sure that our country stays grounded in the values it was founded on. That is our Christian family values, our constitutional values, our capitalist values and our constitutional republic values—all of these values are under attack. They're under attack by socialism, by communism, by woke ideology, by radical Islamic religion. This stuff needs to be eradicated from our culture,” he said.
Austin Rogers, a former Congressional staffer who served as general counsel for Senator Rick Scott, focused on that experience and what he called a decline in American culture.
“We have men playing in women's sports due to a culture of decline and decadence. AI is developing at a rapid pace, and a good man, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed on a college campus this past year for merely speaking his mind,” he said.
Evan Power, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, highlighted his years working in Florida politics. He focused his remarks on targeting the direction of Democrats.
“If you had asked us 10 years ago if we were having a discussion about men and women's sports, men and women's restrooms, and labeling parents domestic terrorists, you would tell me I was crazy. But this is where we are with the Democrats,” he said.
Luke Murphy is a military veteran who served with the 101st Airborne Division during the Iraq War. He was wounded in combat and underwent 41 surgeries afterward. To him, American values are drifting away from what America’s founders believe.
“I believe in what the founders believed: Christian values, capitalism, limited government. I want decisions to be made as close to the people as possible, so there's accountability,” he said.
Lee Jones, a career pilot who served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, focused on national security and warned about what he described as the threat of communism.
“Communism is on the rise to attack this country. We cannot let this country slip into communist control, and we really have a problem with that. You get me up on a hill, I will fall tooth and nail the last breath I've got to make sure communism doesn't come here," he said.
Jim Norton, Keith Gross, and Nicholas Lewis did not attend the candidate forum.
Democratic Party Candidates
The candidates running for the Democratic party nomination each came from varying backgrounds and leaned into them in their remarks.
Nic Zateslo, a Tallahassee native who is a tech entrepreneur, highlighted his frequent opposition to data center construction in the Panhandle.
“We need somebody in Congress who understands that, and I don't think everybody needs to be an expert in AI or data centers. But it'd be nice to have one of us up there who are,” he said.
Amanda Green, a Tallahassee resident who used to work international development and emergency management, criticized the dismantling of federal programs during the current administration.
“We're experiencing a complete lack of interest in the voices of the American people because Congress is corrupt, they don't work for any of us in this room. They're working for billionaires. They're working for corporations that are funding their re-election campaigns, and it's unacceptable,” she said.
Brice Barnes, a political consultant who worked for the Biden for President National Finance Committee in 2020, said she has the ability to work across party lines to accomplish goals for working families.
“I know how to work across aisle. I know how to actually get things done, and I don't just say I'll show up. I actually show up. I actually try to build things and create essentially the American dream for every family,” she said.
Yen Bailey is an attorney and was the Democratic party’s nominee for the 2nd district in 2024. She says the district needs a candidate who will not prioritize what she called political insiders.
“I'm hearing over and over that people are working harder than ever and still struggling to pay all their bills. They have lost faith that this government is still working for working people at all,” she said.
The candidates will be on the ballot during the Aug. 18th primaries.
