Drew Wilson
Republican John Ward, a Palm Coast businessman, released his first TV ad Thursday for his campaign to replace U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
“Forged to be an American leader, John Ward. A U.S. Naval Intelligence veteran, he answered the call and protected us around the globe,” the ad narrator states.
“Strengthened by service, John Ward built successful companies adding thousands of jobs and more than a billion dollars to the economy. An unbreakable constitutional conservative, Ward stands with President Trump fighting to take our country back from the swamp. Made in America, John Ward for Congress.”
Ward entered the race for CD 6 in October, ahead of DeSantis’ announcement that he would run for governor rather than re-election to the Northeast Florida seat in 2018.
He is one of three Republicans to qualify for the ballot alongside former state Rep. Fred Costello and Fox News contributor Mike Waltz. Running on the Democratic side are Daytona Beach physician Steven Sevigny, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nancy Soderberg and John Upchurch.
Ward and Waltz have been their own biggest backers – through March, Ward had put $550,000 of his own money into his campaign, while Waltz had put down $400,000. Ward led the Republican field with $709,000 banked on March 31, followed by Waltz at $653,000 and Costello with $15,720.
Both Soderberg and Sevigny have also raised well into the six figures.
CD 6 covers a stretch of Florida’s east coast, from southern Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach. It has been a reliably Republican seat, and DeSantis would have likely been safe for re-election had he opted to stay in the U.S. House. His exit moved the needle to “likely Republican” according to University of Virginia political scientist Larry J. Sabato’s “Crystal Ball.”
Ward’s ad is below.
