Drew Wilson
Congressional candidate Ryan Chamberlin picked up a trio of endorsements in his bid for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District.
The new backers: Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, Sen. Dennis Baxley and former Marion County Commissioner Mike Amsden.
“Ryan Chamberlain is a businessman and family man with the real world experience so desperately needed today in Washington. We need someone who clearly understands what Congressional action means for working families back home, and Ryan fits the bill,” Albright said.
Baxley, a staunch conservative who has represented Marion in the Legislature for all but three years this millennium, said Chamberlin “could be trusted to put God, the Constitution, and Family above politics.” He added, “Ryan is a pro-Trump conservative with a heart who will stand up for what is right without hesitation.”
Amsden said, “Ryan Chamberlin is running this campaign the same way he has his successful business enterprises. I am confident that with his contacts and base of support that he will win and take that same ‘can-do’ business experience to Washington.”
The nods bolster Chamberlin’s support within Marion, which is home to about a fifth of the district’s 209,000 Republicans. Prior endorsements have come from Rep. Stan McClain, Roy Abshier, Gregory Flanagan, Stan and Lisa Plappert, David Tillman, and Bishop James E. Varnum.
“It is an honor to have the endorsements of these esteemed Marion County leaders,” Chamberlin said in a Monday news release. “They are local legends and have effectively represented our people and our cause with wisdom and principle. I will be counting on them for counsel on this campaign and beyond.”
Chamberlin, an author, speaker and consultant, is one of 10 Republicans running to succeed U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, who announced last year that he would not seek another term.
The GOP slate also includes Kat Cammack, Todd Chase, Bill Engelbrecht, Joe Dallas Millado, Gavin Rollins, James St. George, Judson Sapp, David Theus and Amy Pope Wells.
Chamberlin was one of a half-dozen candidates to break the six-figure mark in fundraising through the end of the first quarter, alongside Cammack, Chase, Rollins, St. George and Sapp.
CD 3 covers Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Putnam and Union counties as well as part of Marion. It is a safe Republican seat.
