With the November presidential election getting closer by the day, plenty of congressional candidates seek to become members of Congress or retain their existing posts. Among those running for reelection, Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) has raised an impressive $1 million in her reelection bid.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Rep. Lee retains a war chest of approximately $780,000 cash on hand, while campaign insiders recently reported she raised over $400,000 in the last fundraising quarter.
These numbers come after the Florida Congresswoman faced criticism from former President Donald Trump after she endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) when he challenged PresidentTrump in the 2024 Republican Presidential primary in May before suspending his campaign in January after the Iowa primary.
In late March, Trump called for a candidate to primary Rep. Lee for Florida Congressional District 15. Potential opponents included conservative influencer Rogan O'Handley, better known as DC Draino, and journalist Laura Loomer, although neither ended up filing to run against Lee.
However, Lee endorsed Trump after Gov. DeSantis dropped out of the Presidential primary, and Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) came to her defense after Trump's call to primary her, saying it was "unhelpful and unwarranted" and criticized Trump for "ridiculous bullying tactics."
After all, Lee has been a ferocious critic of the Biden Administration, being one of the leading voices in the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and laying it on thick against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) when he dismissed the calls for a trial against Sec. Mayorkas.
"The American people deserve to hear the same stories that we heard in the House of Representatives, the facts and evidence that lead us to the conclusion that this was a necessary decision by the House, that this is so much more than a disagreement about policy. This is about one branch of government that refuses to acknowledge the will and the authority of the others," Lee said in response to the dismissal.
Throughout February, Lee also displayed her MAGA credentials through legislation introduced, such as reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and railing against a claim by President Biden in his State of the Union address that "the only reason the border is not secure is because of former President Donald Trump."
The Florida Congresswoman heavily panned the claim, saying, "I do not know how he can even say that to the American people with a straight face because all of us see what is happening at the border."
