Latest news with #6thDistrict
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Challenger Will Furry blasts incumbent U.S Rep. Randy Fine for comments about Gaza famine
Will Furry, who announced a run for Congress in Florida's 6th District on Aug. 12, is the latest Republican challenger to incumbent U.S. Rep. Randy Fine. Even though Fine won an April 1 special election and was sworn into Congress as President Donald Trump's hand-picked candidate, Furry doesn't see Fine as an incumbent. "I see him as a placeholder, who kind of parachuted in here just a few months ago during the special election," Furry said in an interview. "You know, he doesn't really understand our district. He doesn't live in our district." Special elections draw reduced turnout. Furry claimed Fine "hasn't been vetted by the electorate," adding: "I feel that once he goes through a full election cycle, the people of Congressional District 6 will see that I'm the best option." Who is Will Furry? Furry, 50, is a Realtor and real-estate investor who has served on the Flagler County School Board since his 2022 election. He has been chair of the board since 2023. He wears his faith on his sleeve, proudly sharing his membership at Epic Church of Palm Coast and involvement in mission work that has focused on helping children both locally in Flagler County and in Guatemala. Furry and wife Jamie celebrated their 20-year wedding anniversary earlier this year. They have two children, ages 14 and 13, and the family has lived in Palm Coast for about 12 years. He was born and raised in Orange County, California, and moved to the Miami area early in his career before landing in Palm Coast. "We left there to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city," Furry said. "This is a paradise up here in this region of Florida, and it's just a great place to raise children." Furry eschewed college for the workforce and said he climbed the business ladder, becoming executive vice president of a home-loan company. Furry has held his Realtor's license for more than 20 years and said he has founded "several entrepreneurial ventures." His state financial disclosure form estimates his net worth at $1.95 million, with an annual income in 2024 of just over $200,000. That combines his compensation at Realty Atlantic LLC, his Flagler County School Board post pay, and rental income for a property valued at $1.2 million. 'I am an American success story," Furry said. "... I've accomplished more than many of my peers, and I did it all without a woke degree from Harvard.' That last line was a dig at Fine, a Harvard graduate. Attacking Fine from Day 1 Furry said he takes issue not just with Fine's residence in Melbourne Beach, about 100 miles south of the 6th District, but also with his controversial comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Fine, on Fox, made comments that were widely interpreted as supporting a nuclear strike on Gaza: "We nuked the Japanese twice in order to get unconditional surrender. That needs to be the same here." He called Muslim Democrats Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani "terrorists." But what raised Furry's ire was a post on X, where Fine responded to reports of a famine in Gaza with the words "Starve away." Furry said Fine's comments struck a chord, particularly because of his missionary work. "I support Israel and I support an America First agenda, but as a nation, we always took care of the innocent people that were involved in these conflicts," Furry said. "I've dedicated my life in helping children, feeding children, and 'starve away' is just not, does not reflect America." Furry said Fine's priorities are: "Randy first," then "Israel, followed by Israel, and then America." He described Fine's "inflammatory comments" as "political theater and showmanship. That's not leadership. What we need to get back to is statesmanship." What is Randy Fine's response to being 'primaried'? Fine, through a campaign spokesman, responded to Furry's announcement by pivoting to Trump's Nov. 23, 2024, Truth Social post ("RUN, RANDY RUN!") endorsing the then-state senator in the special election to replace Michael Waltz. 'President Trump asked Randy Fine to run for Congress because he needed a steadfast ally in the House who would never compromise his values, never back down from a fight, and always put America First," said Bryan Piligra, a campaign spokesman. "Since the day he was sworn into office, Congressman Fine has delivered every step of the way — casting the tie-breaking vote for the President's One Big Beautiful Bill, passing historic investments into border security, and securing millions of dollars to support projects across the Sixth District. "Congressman Fine looks forward to matching his record against the all-talk, no-action Never Trumpers who want to give our country back to radical Democrats,' Piligra said. Who else is running in Florida's 6th District? Thus far, two other Republicans are in the race to challenge Fine in the Aug. 18, 2026, primary: Palm Coast City Councilman Charles Gambaro, Jr., and Aaron Baker, a general contractor from Sorrento, in Lake County. Gambaro suggested Fine's being "primaried" is an indication that his constituents are dissatisfied. "The entry of another candidate into the congressional race is a clear indicator that our current representative in Congress is not meeting the needs of the residents of District 6. I look forward to a spirited campaign," he said. Baker, who earned 14% of the vote against Fine's 83% in the Jan. 28 GOP special election primary, believes he can perform better with more time to campaign. "None of them will outwork me," Baker said. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler school board chair Will Furry running against Randy Fine
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congress campaign already grows heated
HIGH POINT — It didn't take long for the 6th Congressional District race to heat up as the campaign for Republican Rep. Addison McDowell said that Democratic challenger and High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson has a better chance of winning the lottery than the congressional seat, prompting Jefferson's campaign to respond forcefully. Jefferson made his bid official during an event Tuesday in High Point. Following the formal announcement by Jefferson, the McDowell campaign referred to the long odds of winning the game of chance in describing Jefferson's chances. 'Cyril has a better chance of winning the lottery than convincing the 6th District to vote for a woke, far left politician who raised taxes on middle-class families,' McDowell said in a one-sentence response to Jefferson making his bid official. The comparison led the Jefferson campaign to issue a page-length response. 'McDowell wants to talk about odds? Here's one: zero,' the Jefferson campaign said. 'That's how many times he's voted to put our communities first.' Jefferson cited congressional cuts in essential spending for a cross-section of Americans as the policies he said McDowell supports. 'He voted against our seniors, working families and veterans — the very people who rely on these services to survive,' Jefferson said. 'I'll bet against that record every time.' The 6th District, which includes most of High Point and all of Davidson County, is considered by political analysts as a race leaning heavily Republican, though during his announcement Tuesday Jefferson said it's a winnable contest for a well-organized and well-funded Democratic challenger. No Democrat ran in the 6th District in 2024 when McDowell, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, won the seat in his first bid for the office. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026, with primaries this March.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oshkosh letter-writers share criticisms of US Rep. Glenn Grothman
Here are this week's letters to the editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views. I attended a town hall where Congressman Glenn Grothman promised he wouldn't support cuts to Medicaid. Now, he backs a budget that does exactly that, using the same old line about 'waste, fraud and abuse' to hide real harm. We know what that means — fewer people get the care they need while politicians pretend they're protecting us. If this budget passes the House, Social Security and Medicare will also be affected. We need representatives who protect people, especially children, not just their political power. Making these cuts that will harm children to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans does not match my values, and I hope it doesn't match the values of the people of Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. I'm paying attention — and I hope my neighbors are, too. We shouldn't accept excuses for cuts that hurt families and seniors. We deserve better, and we should demand it. Teresa Thiel Menasha U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman voted to table House Resolution 537 — U.S. Rep. Al Green's impeachment resolution — postponing the impeachment process. This vote is as cowardly as it is shortsighted: in refusing to move the impeachment process forward, Rep. Grothman has shown us he does not intend to uphold his oath of office. This is a dangerous failure of leadership. Refusing to even entertain a public discussion of the president's impeachable conduct risks lasting damage to our democracy. As a voter from Neenah, I need my representative to recognize that Trump is a tyrant, dismantling democratic norms and leading the country into authoritarianism. His unauthorized military attack on Iran is only the most recent example. From his use of unidentified masked agents to enforce deportations, to the unprecedented step of using military forces for domestic policing, to his unilateral firings of federal workers and arbitrary swings in tariffs, and let us not even start about all the grifting he and his family appear to be doing! This president shows no respect for the laws or the reputation of this country. It is high time for Congress to exercise the constitutional process of impeachment, conviction and removal. In the meantime, I urge others in the Wisconsin 6th congressional district to support real leaders who are standing up to this threat and taking action to defend our country. Marilyn Fahrenkrug Neenah Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to oshkoshnews@ and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@ Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel. This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh letter-writers share criticisms of US Rep. Glenn Grothman
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky Politics Insider: An ‘emotional' shakeup in KY-06, Beshear's media blitz
It's been a big week for the future of Kentucky's 6th Congressional District. It started with Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, passing on the GOP nomination contest after many had deemed her the favorite. Minutes later, it got even more interesting when former state senator and current Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado all but threw his hat in the ring. The landscape has completely changed. For one candidate already in the race, it hit close to home — literally. State Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, told the Herald-Leader he lives 'less than a third of a mile' from Alvarado and considers him a friend and political ally. 'I never even got a phone call. I never would have done this to him. It's kind of been a slap in the face to us who have supported him in the previous years,' Dotson said. He said that he helped Alvarado defeat a Democrat in his first election, which made history as Alvarado became the first Hispanic member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He also claimed that Alvarado helped recruit him to run for his current seat, which covers all of Clark County and a section of southern Fayette County. 'I've stood with him and he's stood with me,' Dotson added. '... He has to drive by my house everyday to get to his house — when he's in Kentucky.' The 6th Congressional District is currently held by Rep. Andy Barr, who is leaving his seat to seek election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. Though it was an 'emotional' moment for Dotson to learn of his friend running for the same office he declared for months ago, he said he woke up Tuesday with an even stronger 'fire in his belly' to win. Dotson, a businessman and preacher by trade, said he believes he's the most relatable to the 'common, everyday people' of anyone in the race. In his bid for the office, Dotson met with several members of Congress on the party's far-right flank, including Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia, Andy Harris of Maryland and Jim Jordan of Ohio. He thinks his rightward positioning will help him in a primary setting. 'The people, especially true conservatives, are tired of politics as usual. They're looking for a candidate who's real, who's not a career politician,' Dotson said. 'Everybody that comes into this race will be to my left and people will know that.' The Democrats running — former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson and former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber — remained focused on their primary challenges when asked about the recent shakeup. But Jared Smith, a Lexington-based Democratic consultant and lobbyist, said the move should excite Democrats. 'Due to Bledsoe's history in Lexington and her family's history, she was going to be able to get votes in Fayette that usually would have gone to a Democrat. That was her biggest strength, and I don't think Alvarado or another candidate is as capable of doing that,' Smith said. This latest development may not be the final domino to fall this month, or even this week. Many insiders still expect state Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond, to get in the race, adding both a regional element – Madison County is a large and growing part of the district – and a potentially new message to the race. Barbecue season is officially in full swing. One way you can tell is the Republican candidates' for U.S. Senate social media pages. Both former Attorney General Daniel Cameron and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr have been putting in their steps at events like the Campbellsville Fourth of July Parade and Nicholas County's Blackberry Festival Parade. Barr's team has emphasized his 'hustle' in social media posts, highlighting the fact that he's flown back and forth from Washington to Kentucky to meet voters and make big decisions. In a span of just over 24 hours, Barr voted for Trump's massive budget bill, flew back to Kentucky for a parade, went to two Fourth of July events in Kentucky in the morning and made it back to Washington in time for the bill signing. And yes, he made sure to make it into the group photo for the signing. Meanwhile, Lexington tech and insurance entrepreneur Nate Morris is still in the key stage of his campaign where he needs to define himself to voters — not least of all because political action committees sympathetic to his opponents are working hard to define him negatively. Enter the ad titled 'Who is Nate Morris.' The video drives home Morris' humble roots, being raised by a single mother and connects those to his support for Trump as an 'outsider' and businessman. The ad strikes a more a positive chord than Morris' first forays into the political sphere, which branded him as a pugnacious anti-McConnell warrior. The ad will be distributed digitally. It comes around the same time that Morris' campaign announced it would put a seven-figure investment behind the ad 'Garbage Day,' which features the politician 'taking out the trash' and throwing representations of McConnell, Barr and Cameron into a garbage truck. That ad will air on all television markets in the state, according to a campaign spokesperson. Gov. Andy Beshear is putting his name, face and message out far and wide. This past Sunday alone, he joined two of the top news programs to discuss how the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill' will affect states like Kentucky. On CNN, Beshear framed the bill as 'an attack on rural America,' due to the estimates that it will result in fewer people receiving health insurance from Medicaid and could hurt the bottom line of many rural hospitals. The 'America' phrasing was likely no accident. Beshear has not been coy about the possibility of running for president in 2028. In fact, most connected Democrats in Kentucky and Washington believe he'll go for it. That was highlighted in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, a prominent national magazine, that dubbed him 'an attractive Democratic presidential candidate' and 'a particularly effective messenger' in this moment. 'Beshear, 47, is a particularly effective messenger right now not simply because he is passionate and articulate, but because strenuous partisanship is not his natural style. Quite the opposite, in fact,' author Chris Smith wrote. When asked if he'd run for the White House, Beshear gave what's become his stock answer of late: I'll think about it, eventually. 'Two years ago, I wouldn't have considered [running for president],' he says. 'But if I'm somebody who could maybe heal and bring the country back together, I'll think about it after next year.' The very early polling has Beshear running behind some of the bigger names in the party, many of whom have already run. Emerson Polling has Beshear at 2% among Democratic primary voters, coming in 9th place alongside prominent Democrats like governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Wes Moore of Maryland and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
18-06-2025
- Politics
Josh Weil announces 2026 Senate run to challenge Ashley Moody in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Democrat Josh Weil, who raised millions of dollars for an unsuccessful U.S. House campaign in Florida, said Wednesday that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. If he were to become the Democratic nominee, Weil would challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody. She is a former state attorney general who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat vacated when Marco Rubio was named secretary of state. Weil said in a news release that he's running to make the state more affordable, especially for working people and the elderly. He also pledged to safeguard Social Security, health care and education. 'I'm running because Floridians are suffering,' Weil said. 'People can't afford to live here anymore. Rent, health care, gas, home insurance — everything is more expensive than ever and politicians are making it worse." The Moody campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. She has been collecting endorsements from prominent Republicans, dozens of sheriffs and others. Weil, a public school teacher and administrator in the Orlando area, gained national attention when he raised about $15 million from small donors — according to his news release — for a U.S. House special election against Republican Randy Fine, who raised far less but nevertheless won the 6th District seat in April. Whoever wins the 2026 Senate race will finish the final two years of Rubio's term, then could run for reelection in 2028. It's unclear yet who else might enter the race. "I'm running for U.S. Senate because Floridians deserve more than survival. They deserve a fighter who won't sell out, won't back down and will fight for the future their hard work has earned,' Weil said.
