Republican primary candidates continued to maneuver for position on Wednesday in the special election for the congressional seat opened when former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to cocaine possession. The special primary election will be held on April 22.
Maggies List, a PAC looking to elect conservative women to Congress, announced on Wednesday it was backing Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers,
"I am honored to receive the endorsement from Maggie's List, Benacquisto said. Electing more conservative women to Congress who believe in a smaller government, individual liberty, and national security is of utmost importance."
Maggies is proud to endorse Lizbeth Benacquisto for Floridas 19th Congressional District, said former Florida Secretary of State Sandra Mortham, the chairwoman of Maggies List. Having worked with Sen. Benacquisto since she was first elected to the Florida Senate, she has continuously demonstrated her fiscal conservative principles as well as her constant push for less government and more personal responsibility. As a fellow Floridian, I am extremely happy to endorse Lizbeth, she will be a superlative addition to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the meantime, former state Rep. Paige Kreegel showcased his opposition to President Barack Obamas health-care law. Kreegel cited an article from conservative news outlet Newsmax this week which focused on his opposition to the health care law.
Kreegel returned to that theme in a campaign appearance in Carlisle on Wednesday when he ripped into the devastating effects of Obamacare and cited his background as a doctor.
We all agree, Obamacare is bad for Southwest Florida, Kreegel insisted on Wednesday.
Businessman Curt Clawson unveiled his economic agenda which, he insists, can spur growth. Clawsons plan includes streamlining the tax code, reining in federal spending, cutting back on federal regulations and reforming the health care law.
Too often career politicians run for office touting political rhetoric and establishment talking points said Clawson. Today, as promised, I am releasing the most comprehensive plan of anyone running for Congress. I am approaching government with the same principles and strategies that I learned in the private sector. My five-step economic plan will target an economic growth rate of 5 percent, similar to what we saw under the leadership of President Reagan. In total, this would lead to more than 22 million new jobs nationwide and significant returns for seniors living off of retirement savings.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination in the April 22 primary can expect to take on community activist April Freeman, who is running as a Democrat, and Libertarian Ray Netherwood, an Air Force veteran who ran for Congress back in 2010, in the general election on June 24.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
