Jacob Ogles
Former President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Republican nominee Cory Mills in an open Central Florida congressional race.
Mills, an Army veteran and cable news fixture, won the Republican nomination in Florida’s 7th Congressional District in August. While multiple candidates in that competitive Primary were accused of inferring the former President’s support, Trump never actually backed any Republican over another in that contest.
But now that Mills faces Democratic nominee Karen Green in the Nov. 8 General Election, Trump made clear he thinks the GOP nominee deserves to win.
“A wonderful patriot, Cory Mills, is running for Congress in Florida’s 7th Congressional District as a Pro-America, Pro-Law Enforcement, and Pro-Trump Champion for our beloved Make America Great Again movement,” said Trump in a statement released by his Save America PAC.
“Cory has long been a great fighter for our Country, and he is a decorated U.S. Army combat Veteran who has fought bravely all over the World. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and has even traveled to Ukraine recently to provide information for USAID and State Department officials. When everyone else is running away from the tough fights, Cory Mills is willing to stay back and fight. He loves our Country, loves the Great State of Florida, and he will never let us down. Cory Mills has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Capitalization in the statement is Trump’s own.
Mills publicized the support on social media and promoted his own message on the need for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
“In 21 months, the Dems have caused record inflation, cost of living increases, increased crime, begging OPEC for oil and emptying SPR, and tens of billions of taxpayer’s money in a foreign war that has led to nuclear war threats,” Mills tweeted. “We must stop out of control spending by Dems.”
The race offers a critical pickup opportunity for Republican efforts to retake a majority.
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Winter Park Democrat who chose not to seek re-election, currently represents the district.
On a new congressional map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the district shifts more Republican. Under the old lines, in which Murphy won election three times, Democrat Joe Biden won over Trump in the 2020 election by 10 percentage points, but under the new boundaries, more than 52% of voters went for Trump and fewer than 47% voted for Biden.
