The stakes are being raised in a competitive Republican primary battle between two incumbents, a congressman anda congresswoman, battling it out for a U.S. House seat in Central Florida.
On Tuesday, freshman U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, who is facing a primary on Aug. 14 against fellow Florida Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica, played up her stances on immigration on Tuesday when Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the Arizona law enforcement official who has won national attention on immigration and investigating President Barack Obamas birth certificate, endorsed her.
In his endorsement, Arpaio pointed to Adams record in law enforcement and in Tallahassee.
As a former deputy sheriff, Sandy Adams knows what it takes to keep our citizens safe, said Arpaio. From introducing E-Verify in the Florida House of Representatives to her strong stance on illegal immigration in Congress, Sandy has always been at the forefront of keeping our borders safe."
Arpaio also said that Adams had compiled a solid record in her one term in Washington.
After our nation lost a border patrol agent as a result of Operation Fast and Furious, Sandy helped lead the charge to hold Attorney General Eric Holder and this administration accountable, Arpaio said. I strongly back Sandy in her re-election, and I urge Central Floridians to do the same.
Adams used the opportunity to pledge to crack down against illegal immigration.
I am honored to receive the support of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, said Adams. As a former law enforcement officer myself, I have a great amount of respect for the sheriff and his work to protect our nations borders. With an A+ record from Numbers USA, I believe we must stand strong against illegal immigration. I look forward to working with Sheriff Arpaio on ways to protect our borders and crack down on illegal immigration.
But Mica, a veteran of Congress who was first elected to his post in 1992, is up and running with television and radio ads. For the moment, Micas ads are firing away against President Barack Obama instead of taking aim at Adams.
Micas team launched an ad earlier this week that slammed Obama and ignored Adams. In the ad, the announcer says that Mica will vote to repeal the federal health-care law that Obama signed back in 2010.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
