Peter Schorsch
While most New Year’s resolutions revolve around eating better or getting healthy, newly elected Republican Congressman Neal Dunn seeks to make some more far-reaching changes.
“Hitting the gym is nice and all,” Dunn, a Panama City orthopedic surgeon, says in introducing a 30-second Facebook video posted Friday. “But my New Year’s resolution is to be the strongest conservative voice for you in Congress.”
“Well it’s that time year again … and everybody’s making their New Year’s resolutions … Hitting the gym … or eating healthy,” he says, each punctuated by a barbell pump and a perfectly executed one-handed apple catch, shown in slow motion.
Dunn, who will take the place of Gwen Graham in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District this week, then lays out his conservative priorities for once he officially becomes a member of Capitol Hill: “I’m going to be protecting the Second Amendment. I will appeal Obamacare. I will stand up for veterans.”
“I may not hit all of the CrossFit sessions with Speaker [Paul] Ryan,” he adds, “I will be a conservative voice for you in Washington.”
Dunn won his race for the CD 2 by about 67 percent of the vote against Democrat Walt Dartland. The North Florida District came out of redistricting with a more Republican lean, forcing Democratic incumbent Graham to decline a bid for re-election. She will instead be a likely candidate for governor in 2018.
The 115th Congress is scheduled to convene Tuesday, where new members, including Dunn, will be sworn in.
