Janelle Irwin Taylor
Attorney General Ashley Moody is endorsing U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee for re-election to Florida’s 15th Congressional District.
“I’ve known Laurel Lee as a law student, federal prosecutor, judge, Florida’s Secretary of State, and now congresswoman. In every position, her intellect, grace, and steadfast focus brought greater responsibilities in leadership roles,” Moody said.
“Since being elected, she has stood hand-in-hand with our law enforcement officers, led the charge against the (Joe) Biden Administration on the crisis at our Southern Border as an impeachment manager for the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and sponsored and passed the REPORT Act to fight against the exploitation of children. Now, she is serving on the task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. She has served our nation well in her first term, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign for re-election.”
Moody called Lee a “principled conservative” whose “background and expertise” will “ensure the people of CD 15 are well represented.”
Lee, in her response to the endorsement, praised Moody’s work and called her a good friend.
“Like Attorney General Moody, I’ve served our community as a federal prosecutor and as a judge, and I share her commitment to supporting the men and women of law enforcement,” Lee said.
“Ashley and I understand the importance of the rule of law, and in Congress, I will continue to do all in my power to reverse the failed criminal justice policies of the Biden-(Kamala) Harris administration, including holding those who break the law accountable instead of letting dangerous recidivists roam our streets and restoring law and order at our southern border. If reelected, I look forward to working with Attorney General Moody and Governor DeSantis to fight for CD 15 and all of Florida.”
Lee is facing two challengers in Tuesday’s GOP Primary — Jennifer Barbosa and James Judge. But she’s expected to notch an easy victory.
In addition to Moody’s backing, Lee also has support from Trump, a huge get for the Republican Primary, especially considering Trump had initially called for a Primary challenger to Lee in a Truth Social post in March. The post had been in response to Lee’s support for Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential Primary, but she later endorsed the former President and he, in turn, eventually came around to supporting her.
DeSantis has also endorsed Lee, as have U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott.
Lee also has a sizable war chest, including $1.3 million in cash on hand at the beginning of August. Meanwhile, Judge had just $4,500 and Barbosa just $2,100 in their coffers.
The winner of the GOP Primary will face current Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp in the November General Election. As of the end of July, Kemp had more than $150,000 on hand for the race.
If Lee wins on Tuesday, she’s expected to also have the advantage against Kemp. The district is home to about 163,000 registered Republican voters, compared to just 141,000 Democrats.
