Cindy Banyai will challenge Jenna Persons-Mulicka’s record on abortion

With experience in nonprofits, Cindy Banyai knows how to collaaborate with a wide variety of people.

Former congressional candidate Cindy Banyai will challenge state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, a Fort Myers Republican, for her place in the House. The Democrat launched her campaign slamming the incumbent’s role in restricting abortion rights in Florida.

“I’m stepping up to run for Florida House 78 because Tallahassee is nothing but a mess of political infighting and ridiculous political posturing while the people in our state are struggling,” Banyai said.

“Rather than solving real issues like the insurance crisis, Jenna has been sealing her far right credentials by sponsoring bills that strip women of their health care freedom, make voting more difficult, and make citizen initiatives nearly impossible. I’m ready to work for the people of Fort Myers to make their lives better, not my political career easier.”

Persons-Mulicka sponsored a six-week abortion ban and stood by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023 when he signed the Heartbeat Protection Act.

Banyai is known well in Democratic circles in Southwest Florida, largely thanks to back-to-back challenges to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, both when he was first elected to Congress in 2020 and when he ran for re-election two years later.

But last election cycle she also was working behind the scenes with other Democratic campaigns. She operates the progressive Big Mouth Media. She stressed that her political work and other professional endeavors.

“Fortunately, I have been on ground serving many causes in our community — education, conservation, housing and recovery. I see the needs we have and know the resources we can throw at them,” Banyai said.

“We need leaders in Tallahassee that are ready to address the real problems we have, not focus on the political issues that divide us. I’m the opposition candidate ready to break the 30-years of one-party rule in Florida that has driven our state into the ground. We must end corruption. We must stop giveaways to big donors.”

HD 78 will likely be an uphill battle for any Democrat, though. Persons-Mulicka in November won her third House term with almost 60% of the vote over Democrat Howard Sapp.

Notably, Sapp filed to run for Donalds’ congressional seat, with Donalds now running for Governor.