Former congressman Chris Collins (R-NY) is seeking a return to office in Florida, aiming to fill Representative Byron Donalds' (R-FL) 19th Congressional District seat in a growing Republican primary field.
Collins is buying in big, with a six-figure media investment across the district, including 15-second and 30-second ads set to air during NFL playoff coverage and the Super Bowl.
The ads bill him as "the original Trump conservative," since he was the first member of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump in his 2016 campaign and was later pardoned in 2020 by the President after pleading guilty to insider trading.
"I helped President Trump start the fight in 2016, and I'm running for Congress to help him finish it," Collins stated. "That means securing our borders once and for all, setting our economy up for generations of success, and defending our constitutional freedoms from radical socialist Democrats. I'm ready to get back in the ring for our President to deliver his agenda for the families of Southwest Florida and future generations."
The former New York congressman is facing some stiff opposition down in the 19th District, including former North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorn, former Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis, Ola Hawatmeh, Catalina Lauf, Jim Schwartzel, Johnny Fratto, and Mike Petersen.
Hawatmeh, in particular, already has a leg up in endorsements, with Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IL), State Representative Meg Weinberger (R), and former Trump policy advisor Stephen Moore lining up behind her, saying President Donald Trump could use someone like her in the House.
Lauf, meanwhile, seems to have tapped into the growing resentment against financial assistance to Israel, recently telling OANN's Matt Gaetz that America's needs should be met first before Israel's.
"I think ultimately we need to make sure that we are lowering the costs for Americans. Affordability is a huge issue, and I'm looking forward to joining Congress and seeing exactly where all of our money is going, where our hard-earned taxpayer money is going, what our interests are, and ultimately making sure that our Americans are taken care of first," said Lauf.
The Florida's primary election will be held on August 18th.
