Ryan RayCongressional candidate Mary Thomas announced Monday she has agreed to abide by a “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” promoted by a conservative political group.
In a release, Thomas touted the fact she is “the first, and to this point, only” candidate vying to replace Democrat U.S. Gwen Graham in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District to sign such a pledge.
The Americans for Tax Reform-authored document reads as follows:
“I pledge to the taxpayers of the state of Florida, and to the American people that I will: One, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and, Two, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
After signing the pledge Thomas, who serves as legal counsel for the state’s Department of Elder Affairs, said she intends to stand by it.
“Over the last four years, while I served as one of Governor Rick Scott’s top attorneys, our Administration cut taxes for businesses and families in Florida,” said Thomas.
“Washington D.C. could take a few lessons from what we’ve done here in Florida. Here’s my plan: let’s adopt a flat or FairTax and eliminate the IRS to stimulate economic growth,” she concluded.
Thomas is seeking the Republican nomination to replace Gwen Graham amid a courts-driven redistricting process likely to radically alter the makeup of CD 2.
Experts expect the district to become significantly more Republican-leaning after the final congressional maps are enacted, making the Tallahassee Republican’s chances far more realistic than a head-to-head against the freshman Democratic congresswoman under the current maps.
She so far faces one opponent for the nomination in Panama City urologist Dr. Neal Dunn, though another candidate from the west of the district, which runs from Bay to Taylor counties in the eastern Panhandle as currently composed, is likely to emerge.
