Combat veteran and current sitting member of the U.S. Congress, Brian Mast (R), is expected to face a touch congressional challenge in 2018, but from whom?
Enter Lauren Baer.
Her name might sound familiar to you considering that your family may be sleeping or sitting on one of her family’s pieces of furniture.
Yes, Lauren Baer is of the Baer Furniture family, so there may possibly be some big bucks lining up behind her congressional run (Baer has already raised $575,000).
According to her campaign website, Baer is a resident of Palm Beach Gardens where she lives with her domestic partner (wife) Emily, her daughter Serena, and Biscuit the family pooch.
In just watching her campaign announcement video, you would never think that she is anything but a middle-of-the-road, centrist candidate that has her finger firmly on the pulse of the congressional district she is running in.
The Yale University educated foreign policy expert cut her teeth in politics by working within the Obama Administration, serving as a senior advisor to both Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.
Trump’s comments are shocking but no longer surprising. We've been aware of his racism & xenophobia for far too long. The only question at this point is whether sitting Republicans will ever hold POTUS accountable. Its time to send leaders to Washington who will do the job. #FL18
— Lauren Baer (@laurenbaer) January 12, 2018
The attack ads have already written themselves, as Republicans will surely take their licks at Baer for her deep ties to Obama and Clinton, just as the Democrats are already doing against Mast by trying to wrap President Trump around his neck.
Florida’s 18th congressional district slightly leans Republican but could go Democrat in this mid-term election. Remember, back in 2012 Patrick Murphy defeated Republican Congressman Allen West in this very same district by less than 1% point.
In the veteran-heavy district, Mast has the advantage because of his service and injury, but voters are now looking past that and are after results.