STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY

Two of my heroes, Abe Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, had profound things to say about a word
that means so very much to me: Freedom.

 

Lincoln, in the midst of our great Civil War, said that freedom for the slave, as well as freedom for those already free, represented the “last best hope of Earth.” And Reagan warned us that “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” These words inspire me deeply to serve our country and protect the God-given liberties that so many have fought and died to preserve for us.

For my entire career, I’ve had the privilege to help build or expand businesses that contribute
significantly to the strength of America’s economy. Despite what the liberals of our time would
have us believe, our system of free enterprise has afforded the most opportunities to the greatest number of people of every gender, color, and ethnic background in the history of mankind. It is heartbreaking to see what the radical left has succeeded in doing to this country over the past generation or so.  They have denied American exceptionalism.  Worse, they are now indoctrinating our children with the falsehood that America is inherently racist and indeed evil, and that by merely saying so, boys can become girls and girls can become boys, and anyone who doesn’t agree is a bigot who must be silenced.  They have waged war on working families and the values that made this country great, working all the while not to help people become independent and successful but dependent on the government so that their votes can be harvested to keep the dependency in place.  This reboot of Marxism, which so many of us had hoped had died with Soviet communism, is very much alive and well across the country today, based on the active nurturing by our elites of race and so-called gender-based grievances of one group against another.

It was my concern about the direction of our country and the ongoing erosion of our precious
freedoms that led me to offer myself for public service as a Marco Island City Councilor shortly
after my retirement to paradise. In that role, I have enjoyed helping to reform our city’s budget and regulatory system while also addressing growth management issues in a way that has helped preserve local free enterprise while constraining the power of government. We have also consistently rolled back the millage rate of the city to become a model for property tax relief.
I have admired Governor Ron DeSantis in his effort to keep Florida free from the radical
socialism being pushed out of Washington. It certainly has made our job easier at the local level, and we have seen the benefit of state leadership based on conservative principles.
I have also greatly enjoyed working with State Representative Bob Rommel who has represented our district’s voice very well in the state legislature. He has been a strong ally for DeSantis and has been one of the most highly effective leaders in Florida today.

Rep. Rommel is term limited, and I strongly support his candidacy for the State Senate after our
current State Senator and Senate President completes her term. I have been encouraged by many family and friends in our area to consider stepping up to provide the same style of leadership as Bob’s that is pro-business, pro-family, and most of all pro-America.

From my days at the Naval Academy to my service in the Reagan White House and subsequent career working in industry, I have always felt the call to serve in ways that will preserve freedom, prosperity, and the American Dream. I am gratified by the fact that we have a chance to defeat Joe Biden in the upcoming election, but I also believe that maintaining strong
leadership in our Free State of Florida’s state capitol is key to preserving America.
 

Thus, after prayer, discussion with family and supporters, and experiencing much encouragement by all, I have filed my papers to run for the State Representative, District 81 seat.

It is an honor to be considered, and I look forward to earning your vote.