BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
Two Congressional candidates were among those who attended a political forum sponsored by the Republican Party of Bradford County at the fairgrounds on Aug. 4.
Republican Congressional candidates vying for the party nomination include Justin Waters and incumbent Kat Cammack. Waters said COVID lockdowns, the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to defund the police were behind his decision to run.
“We need to back our law enforcement, and we need to ensure that Nancy Pelosi and the other Democrats do not defame our law enforcement because the thin blue line is what holds our civilization together. Without them, we will fall apart,” Waters said. The federal government also needs to stay out of local elections, he said.
The 40-year-old lawyer said he has no ties to the “DC Swamp.”
“When you pick a federal lawmaker, pick one who does not have ties to the swamp, because if they have financial and friendship ties to the swamp, they’re going to represent the swamp, the DC beltway, not us in our district,” he said.
Cammack proudly referred to herself as Nancy Pelosi’s least favorite member of Congress. She’s worked hard for the title, she said, fighting to secure the nation’s borders, support law enforcement and opposing overreaching government spending.
“What we have seen in the last 18 months, is an attempt by the ultra-radical left to control every aspect of our life,” Cammack said. She likened immigration to an invasion of both non-U.S. citizens and dangerous illegal drugs.
She said Americans are in the middle of ‘an all-out assault” by people who are attacking first responders, driving up the price of gas and shipping jobs overseas.
“But the thing that I come back to is the Constitution. We have a Constitution that guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that is what we need to protect more than ever,” she said. “We will continue to fight every single day to make sure that we the people control Washington, not the other way around.”
Both were asked to name the biggest issue facing the Third Congressional District. Waters said he would put his staff to work writing grants for the district’s rural communities, which are in need of the revenue but often don’t have their own grant writers.
Cammack said it’s Washington bureaucrats who want to control everyone’s life and make them pay for it. She called government spending a “national security threat.”
A third Republican candidate, Manuel Asensio was not present.
Neither Democrat candidate Tom Wells or Danielle Hawk participated.
Not present, but spoken for
Ashton Hanigan spoke on behalf Sen. Marco Rubio, attacking Val Demings, who is seeking the Democrats’ nomination to run. She said the establishment is behind Demings and will spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to get her elected. Meanwhile, Demings, a former law enforcement officer, has come under attack for statements she made about defunding the police. As a result, Hanigan said 55 of the state’s sheriffs, including Gordon Smith, are backing Rubio. .
Since being elected to Congress, Hanigan said Demings has voted with Pelosi 100% of the time.
“Once she gets to the Senate, if she does, she’s going to vote with Chuck Schumer 100% of the time. We have a 50-50 Senate right now and cannot afford to lose the seat,” she said.
Demings was not represented at the forum.
Colin York spoke for incumbent Attorney General Ashley Moody, saying she serves to protect Floridians, their freedom and their children. That includes fighting federal vaccine and mask mandates. She is unopposed in the primary, but will face the Democrats choice in November. These choices include Daniel Uhlfelder, who York referred to as the COVID “grim reaper” and Aramis Ayala as a socialist who wants to turn Florida into Portland.
Neither they nor the third Democrat on the ballot, Jim Lewis, were present at the forum.
Candidates for governor, chief financial officer and commissioner of agriculture did not participate.
The forum was hosted by Richard Solze and broadcast by WEAG.
