As we quickly approach the 2022 midterm elections, candidates are starting to fire up their respective political campaigns. One of the most highly anticipated Florida Congressional House races is the contest between incumbent Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and challenger, state Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32). Rep. Sabatini threw the first jab at Rep. Murphy, but Murphy has countered with a body blow, calling Sabatini an "extremist Trump supporter" in her latest campaign fundraising email.
Representative Murphy who calls herself a "Blue Dog Democrat," has since kicked off fundraising in hopes to outraise Rep. Sabatini who she has since called a "far-right politician," as he has previously Tweeted that Dr. Anthony Fauci should be sentenced to life in prison.
The Stephanie Murphy for Congress donation email sent out this week states, "It's crucial that we show grassroots strength when those numbers [donations] are made public, or else people like Sabatini will feel even more emboldened. "
Although Murphy has made efforts to work in a bipartisan fashion, she may run into issues when it comes to her voting record. According to ProPublica, an independent, non-profit news organization, Rep. Murphy has voted with Progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar 90% and 91% of the time, respectively. A wing of the party Murphy has been seemingly trying to distance herself from.
Murphy has also voted with Speaker Nancy Pelosi 95% of the time, leaving many Republicans and Independent voters questioning her “centrist” and “Blue Dog” bona fides.
Some of the controversial measures Murphy has voted for are the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, The For The People Act, and the measure to impeach former President Donald Trump.
But even with all that said, Murphy is a prolific grassroots campaigner and if you live in her congressional district, she probably knocked on your door and asked you for your vote. Sabatini has his work cut out for him.
