With lawmakers positioning themselves for statewide runs, one Florida congressman that will face a challenge is Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R). The staunch supporter of President Donald Trump (R) received his first challenger in Adam Gentle (D), an attorney who is committed to unseating Florida’s 25th Congressional District representative. In making the announcement for his congressional bid, Gentle cited the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, calling it an “inflection point in our history” and saying that Diaz-Balart is one of many lawmakers who “repeat proven lies to further their corrupt scheme.”
In a nearly four-minute video announcing his candidacy for district 25, Gentle commented that “our failure to act now to address the causes of the Jan. 6th insurrection will lead this nation down the same path as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.” He added that he “will not stand on the sidelines and watch elected officials repeat proven lies to further their corrupt scheme.”
Gentle feels that “they have tested our Constitution and the will of the American people,” but “no mas.”
In the upcoming 2022 midterm election, “Floridians have an opportunity to save this nation and elect representatives that will uphold their oath of office and bring prosperity to all Floridians.”
In the 2018 general election, Diaz-Balart won reeleection with more than 60% of the vote.
“Florida’s 25th district deserves a voice in Florida and Washington D.C. that is pro-democracy, believes in facts and tells the community the truth,” Gentle asserted in a separate statement.
Evelyn Perez-Verdia, a campaign messaging strategist who produced Gentle’s announcement ad, praised Gentle’s candidacy, saying that Adam “understands the importance of starting early with a bilingual message to our community and the importance of listening to every person in the district that he represents.”
Diaz-Balart has not responded to Gentle’s candidacy.
