Freshman Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) has found her match in her upcoming reelection bid, and her opponent has just exceeded all expectations.
In the battle for Florida’s Congressional District 26 seat, the once-Republican chair could turn red again as Irina Vilarino has amassed over $270,000 in her first quarter. So far, she is the only Republican that has filed to unseat Rep. Mucarsel-Powell.
Commenting on the achievement, Vilarino expressed that she was “overwhelmed by the generosity and commitment of my donors to our cause and all we believe in.”
She added that “from the very beginning of our campaign, I have made it clear that the American Dream should not suffer because of liberals who insist every government action should end in higher taxes and needless regulations.”
Vilarino concluded that she believes “in a freedom and prosperity that sustains our strong economic growth under President Trump and ultimately restores faith in the American people.”
Vilarino’s contributions are almost exclusively from South Florida, which indicates that she has a strong base of support from the sunshine state. In addition, her campaign has spent very little money, specifically less than $17,000. This is consistent with her message of running a smart and lean campaign that emulates the fiscal restraint that she believes the government should enact.
In the 2018 midterm election, amidst calls of a “blue wave” overtaking the United States, there was little to no effect in terms of seats changing. However, Democrats did take the House, and the sunshine state seat once held by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) turned blue with Mucarsel-Powell’s victory.
As Democrats look to take the White House in the upcoming 2020 Presidential election, Republicans are looking to not only keep the White House but also reclaim the House.
The battle for Florida’s 26th Congressional District will be a closely watched race.
