Stressing his lack of political experience, conservative Todd Wilcox made a pitch to Florida Republicans as he continues his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Wilcox stressed his service in the Army, in the CIA and in the private sector when he spoke at the Republican Party of Florida’s (RPOF) Sunshine Summit on Friday afternoon. But, while he highlighted his background, Wilcox also stressed what he wasn’t.
“I’m not a politician, I’ve never run for public office,” Wilcox said. “I’m not a lawyer.”
Noting U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., posed a major threat as the Democrats try to flip the seat and win the Senate, Wilcox showcased his experience and contrasted it with the elected officeholders he is battling in the primary.
“The choice you have is which candidate has real world experience,” Wilcox insisted.
Wilcox said his background was important, calling it relevant as national security, the economy and personal liberty were the important issues of the 2016 election cycle. Calling out “Islamic extremists,” Wilcox said his background would help him in the Senate.
Dismissing President Barack Obama’s efforts, Wilcox insisted he wasn’t up to the job when it came to national security.
“Our adversaries are playing chess while our president is playing checkers,” Wilcox said.
Turning to the economy, Wilcox vowed to fight for fiscal conservatism and a “common sense tax code.” On education, Wilcox criticized Common Core.
Wilcox ripped Obama for ignoring the Constitution and insisted America was headed toward a “post-constitutional” era. Insisting the executive branch was gaining too much power, Wilcox repeated his call to rein it in.
“We can change course, we have to change course,” Wilcox said. “Impossible has never been part of our vocabulary.”
Three other Senate candidates--U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera--are also running for the Republican nomination. Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and conservative leader Dan Bongino have opened the door to entering the Republican Senate primary.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
