Scott Powers
Democratic congressional candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost has received the backing of a new super PAC that’s pledging $1 million to support his candidacy in Florida’s 10th Congressional District.
Protect Our Future Political Action Committee, founded earlier this year, seeks to help elect Democratic candidates across the country who are committed to addressing prevention of future pandemics.
The group has pledged to spend $20 million across 20 races this year.
On Tuesday, the PAC named Frost as one of its endorsed candidates, expressing confidence he would “advocate for increased funding for pandemic prevention and preparedness research and development.”
POLITICO reported earlier this month that the group’s big financial backer is Sam Bankman-Fried, a 30-year-old cryptocurrency exchange billionaire who already has donated $14 million to Protect Our Future.
Frost is in a large field of candidates vying to replace incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings in the Orange County-based CD 10, which is likely to remain a strongly Democratic district regardless of what happens with litigation over reapportionment.
Other Democrats in the field include state Sen. Randolph Bracy, the Rev. Terence Gray and Natalie Jackson.
“Despite the pandemic’s devastating impact on communities across the country, there has been little federal action targeted at actually preventing future pandemics,” said Michael Sadowsky, president of Protect Our Future. “Protect Our Future is putting its support behind a bench of candidates, including Maxwell Frost, who will be vocal advocates in Congress for pandemic prevention.”
Frost already has raised nearly $1 million, putting him well ahead of Bracy, Gray, Jackson and leading CD 10 Republican candidates Willie Montague and Calvin Wimbish in the money chase.
In the news release, Protect Our Future said its endorsements were based on a candidate’s commitment to supporting more federal funding for pandemic prevention, leadership on issues that will help prevent or mitigate the consequences of a future pandemic, viability as a candidate, and public service and professional experience.
Protect Our Future has also pledged $1 million toward three incumbent Democratic members of Congress: Rep. Shontel Brown of Ohio, Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia and Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York. Among the other 16, one is a candidate for the Senate: Peter Welch of Vermont.
