Gus Bilirakis to host ‘America First’ campaign kickoff

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is hosting his official campaign kickoff June 15, complete with a Donald Trump theme.

The “America First” kickoff will celebrate Bilirakis as he seeks re-election, raise funds for his effort and honor the former President, who has endorsed Bilirakis.

The kickoff asks supporters to “hop on the bus for Gus” with a trio of events throughout the day. Festivities begin at 9 a.m. at Marguerita Grill located at 10200 W. Halls River Rd. in Homosassa, followed by an 11:30 a.m. stop at The Bistro located at 10 S. Main St. in Brooksville. The day will conclude at 2 p.m. at VFW Post 7987 located at 7445 Chester McKay Dr. in New Port Richey.

The events will feature special guest Leo “2.0” Terrell, a civil rights lawyer who was a lifelong Democrat before switching to the Republican Party based on his support for Trump. Terrell hosts a radio program on KABC called Leo 2.0 Live.

“Conservative patriots like us cannot afford to sit out this election,” Bilirakis wrote in a memo to supporters inviting them to the kickoff. “I’ll give President Trump the support he needs in Congress to secure the border, end Bidenflation, and stand up to China.”

No Democrat filed or qualified for the race, setting up an open GOP Primary between Bilirakis and challenger Hank Dunlap. Bilirakis is expected to sail to an easy victory. Dunlap has raised less than $9,000 for his race, a paltry sum for congressional races that often soar into seven figures. Bilirakis, meanwhile, has raised more than $1 million, and has nearly $378,000 still on hand.

Since winning his seat in Washington in 2006, succeeding father and former U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, Gus Bilirakis has focused on bread-and-butter issues that impact his constituents’ lives.

In particular, Bilirakis has fought alongside Democrats and Republicans in the region on behalf of area veterans. He celebrated some of that progress earlier this year at the ribbon-cutting for the new James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital bed tower in Tampa. He shared the stage with a Democrat in Tampa Bay’s congressional delegation.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking last year rated Bilirakis the most effective Republican member of the House among the Florida delegation. The Lugar Center, which tracks how often lawmakers work together across the aisle, scored Bilirakis as the most bipartisan member of Florida’s congressional delegation in the last Congress. He was the 27th highest scoring member nationwide in the 435-member chamber.

Last month, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) recognized Bilirakis for his office’s outstanding achievement, naming him a finalist for the organization’s democracy awards in the categories of constituent service and constituent accountability and accessibility. Winners will be named in July, with a celebration of all finalists scheduled for September in Washington.