A seven-way Republican Aug. 18 primary generated a candidate to run against the Democrat U.S. Congressional District 9 incumbent in the Nov. 3 general election.
The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates' answers were fact checked and only edited for space considerations.
Dan Green, Republican
Age: 50
Residence: Vero Beach
Political background: U.S. Department of Defense/U.S. Department of State (2001-2009), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development (2019-21)
Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? The honor of public service is earned. I believe I am the most prepared in terms of leadership experience, both as a civilian and as a member of the U.S. military. I served in the Trump Administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development and have led at a senior level at the U.S. Dept. of War/Defense. I am a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves with 23 years of experience, and I have led units of 50-135 members. With five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, I have been tested under several challenging circumstances that have built resiliency in my approach to leadership.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
Affordability: It astounds me how much we are paying for groceries when there are regulations on the books that only drive prices higher. We need to reduce unnecessary regulations and bureaucracy, facilitate price transparency, and promote greater free market competition. We should be doing more to support U.S. manufactured and grown products that support American farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers.
Restoring Constitutional Government: Congress need to build positive and constructive coalitions that focus on balancing the budget and reducing the national debt. This can be achieved, in part, by providing more effective oversight of out-of-control bureaucracies built over decades. There has never been a greater need to pass a national budget on time when it comes to serving the needs and will of our people. Passing the budget is also a major national security concern; it is a core issue that will assist in achieving a more affordable way of life for our nation.
Building Peace Through Strength: It is important to prioritize when and where our national leaders decide to use military force. Detering our main adversaries requires us to build our capabilities, capacity, and resiliency and to spend judiciously. The most significant national security threat to our nation is the People’s Republic of China. The U.S. Dept of War must be prepared to deter, defend against, and, if needed, defeat them. After five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have learned that we must always be prepared for worst-case scenarios.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
I believe the current federal 21st Century Road to Housing Act is a strong step forward to address housing affordability. This facilitates the building of additional homes which will help to address cost issues. According to Time Magazine, the bill will “streamline environmental reviews in an effort to speed the process of constructing homes.” This includes providing recommendations on zoning reform, supporting local communities on loans and grants, and stopping large corporations from turning single family homes into tax shelters and business ventures that restrict American families from being able to start their American dream.
Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: Yes.
We should endeavor to reduce the tax burden on Floridians when affordability issues are so important. Individuals are better positioned to spend their hard-earned tax dollars than government and the proposed constitutional amendment will promote more responsible budgets, reduce waste and fraud, and allow residents to keep more of their paychecks.
Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?
I am greatly concerned about the impact of data centers on the electrical grid, water usage, noise pollution and other quality of life issues. We must ensure consumers, our water supply, and our quality of life are protected first and foremost. It is important to learn the lessons of how other states have dealt with data centers and, where appropriate, incorporate them into public planning. I am greatly concerned about the impact of data centers on the electrical grid, water usage, noise pollution and other quality of life issues.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida? It is incredibly important to address the health of the Florida aquifer, our waterways, and lakes. Water pollution has taken its toll on the quality of our water. Droughts, algae blooms, and nitrogen levels in the water are factors that affect Florida’s environment.
What is the single biggest issue the government should address when it comes to public education in Florida? Our most precious national resource is our children. There is no simple answer. The single biggest societal issue affecting Florida’s public education is the impact of artificial intelligence on how students learn. While there are many benefits of AI, there is increasing evidence it is degrading the educational quality of our students as it is often used to supplant traditional and more effective means of learning. We need to be proactive in our approach, testing different models of learning with AI, providing resources and support to teachers and keeping parents informed about how this technological change is impacting their children. We owe this to Florida’s families.
Darren Soto, Democrat (incumbent)
Age: 48
Residence: Kissimmee
Occupation: United States Representative and attorney
Political background: Florida House of Representatives, 2007–2012; Florida Senate, 2012–2016; U.S. House of Representatives, Florida’s 9th Congressional District: 2017–present.
Why should District 9 voters grant you another term in Congress? I have a proven record of working across the aisle to deliver results for Central Florida. We have brought billions in federal funding home for major jobs, roads, rail, airports, healthcare, affordable housing and water projects. This includes supporting microchip manufacturing at NeoCity, medical research at Lake Nona, I-4 and Poinciana Parkway expansions, advancing SunRail and Brightline, building Orlando International Airport’s Terminal C and a new Kissimmee Airport tower, developing Haven on Vine, Thrive and Buen Vecino affordable housing projects, and restoring the Kissimmee River and Big Lake Tohopekaliga as well as new building Toho Water reservoirs, and plus much more.
I am seeking another term to build on that progress, represent every community in our newly drawn district and continue fighting for working families in Congress.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
The 3 C’s: Lower Costs, Protect our care and stop Corruption. From gas to groceries, housing to healthcare and more, working families are being squeezed because of tariffs and the Iran War. We must end these efforts to lower these costs, protect Social Security and Medicare, build more affordable housing and expand tax relief for working families.
Every Floridian should have access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Tragically over 150,000 constituents just lost their healthcare due to Affordable Care Act and Medicaid cuts. This rise in uninsured is raising employer-based healthcare and Medicare Advantage costs too. We must reverse the ACA, Medicaid and SNAP cuts to lower healthcare costs for all Central Floridians, expand access to mental-health services and continue reducing the cost of prescription drugs. I will also defend Medicare and work to ensure that veterans, seniors and rural communities can access the care they need.
We have seen a disturbing rise in corruption in Washington: Billionaire ballrooms, pay-for-pardon schemes, and insider stock trading. I have called out this corruption and voted to hold those responsible accountable. We must bring balance back to Washington to ensure these scandals come to an end. I have also supported legislation to stop stock trading by Members of Congress and the administration. I have never personally owned any shares of stock and strongly believe that members should not trade while in office.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
I was proud to vote for the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act which prohibited hedge funds from buying up many single-family homes, streamlined zoning and affordable housing for veterans and first-time home buyers, and made manufactured homes eligible for the program. I also helped deliver over $122 million for affordable housing including Haven on Vine, Thrive and Buen Vecino and thousands of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units locally.
We must increase the supply of affordable homes by boosting LIHTC’s, fully fund first-time homebuyers and VA loans for veterans, and work with local governments and nonprofit organizations to build housing near jobs and transportation. We also need to recognize that housing affordability involves more than rent or mortgage. We must end the tariffs, Iran War and mass deportations to lower building supplies, construction and maintenance costs. We also need to reform the flood insurance program to lower insurance premiums.
Please vote yes or no on the Florida constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position.
Let the people decide how to vote on Amendment 3. I understand many are struggling with costs and want to vote Yes on the amendment. Others will be voting No because it could defund police, fire, schools and lead to more traffic.
Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?
Data Center siting must be a local decision. Local governments are closest to the people and should have the power to accept or reject data centers in their communities. We must also protect ratepayers from spikes in energy, water and other utility bills as a result of data centers. I was proud to vote for the Ratepayer Protection Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9340/text) which shields residential and small business utility customers from paying for energy and infrastructure costs triggered by data centers. We must do more to ensure local communities are fully protected.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
Protecting Florida’s clean water is one of our most urgent environmental responsibilities. I was proud to secure over $1 billion to restore the Kissimmee River, East Lake Toho and North Lake Toho. We are continuing those efforts with the Big Lake Toho restoration which began last month. We delivered over $10 million for BVL and Mills Slough flood control after Hurricane Ian. We also secured $9.4 million for Indian River Lagoon restoration. These projects are critical for clean water, flood control, habitat and recreation.
We have fixed the brown water issue in St Cloud and secured nearly $500 million for Toho Water to build reservoirs at NeoCity, South Osceola and at Taylor Creek to increase clean water supply for our growing county.
We will continue work on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee in the Northern Everglades region as well as the Indian River Lagoon to address pollution that is affecting Central Florida, the Heartland and the Coast. We also need to modernize wastewater systems, conserve our aquifer, improve flood protection and prepare our communities for stronger hurricanes and the effects of climate change. Florida’s environment supports our drinking water, tourism, agriculture and recreation, so protecting it is an investment in our economy and quality of life.
