Iraq war vet, federal prosecutor Ron DeSantis to run in CD-6 (bad news, Craig Miller)

Nothing's coming easy to businessman-turned-political candidate Craig Miller, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in '10 and, this year, dropped out of the Republican U.S. Senate race to run for Congress.

Now he has what looks like a pretty serious challenger: Ron DeSantis, a decorated veteran with an Ivy-league education and a hard-hitting political team in Data Targeting, a Gainesville-based firm that is the de-facto election machine for the GOP leadership in the state Senate. (State Rep. Fred Costello might run as well.)

Here's the press release:

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Republican Ron DeSantis, an Iraq war veteran, former prosecutor and principled conservative, announced that he will be running for the United States House of Representatives, seeking to represent his fellow residents of the newly-proposed 6th Congressional District along Florida's First Coast.

“I’m running for Congress to reverse Obama’s big government policies, to be faithful to the principles on which our nation was founded, and to make members of Congress play by the same rules as the rest of us,” Ron said in a statement.

“Our Founding Fathers would be appalled at how Washington has grown out of control and how the federal government has broken loose from the limits our Constitution places on it. Washington politicians have created so many of our problems, and it is foolish to rely on them to save our country. Recapturing and preserving American exceptionalism requires new citizen leaders – not career politicians – who will do what it takes to reassert constitutional limitations on government, restore the rule of law and pull us back from the brink of  economic catastrophe. I refuse to stand by and see our great country destroy itself.”

DeSantis, 33, having neither sought nor held public office, is not a politician. He worked his way through Yale University and Harvard Law School and then elected to serve his country as a JAG officer in the United States Navy. An accomplished military and federal prosecutor, Ron deployed to Iraq during the 2007 troop surge as an adviser to a Navy SEAL commander in support of the SEAL counterinsurgency mission, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service.

A lifelong Floridian born in Jacksonville, Ron has served at Naval Station Mayport and Naval Air Station Jacksonville, and continues to serve as an officer in the U.S. Navy reserve. In 2011, Ron authored the book Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama, which shows how Barack Obama and his allies have departed from our nation’s founding principles, and urges Americans to keep faith with the enduring truths that serve as the basis for our society.

As a candidate for Congress, Ron will campaign on limited government principles, free market economics and a strong national defense. He will call for the full and complete repeal of ObamaCare, a federal Balanced Budget Amendment, a complete overhaul of the tax code, the abolition of crony capitalism, term limits for members of Congress, and an end to the system of perks and giveaways that Congress grants to its members. Ron knows that we can start growing our economy if we stop growing government. Freedom will work for us if we will let it.

Ron lives in Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County with his wife Casey Black DeSantis, an Emmy award-winning television host.
 
 
                                                  

Comments

[David Easlick]

I am in the 14th in Collier County. Happy to support Ron. He is exactly what we need to lead Florida into the future.

[mel grossman.]

Great. Good luck

Barbara,Mel.

[Tom Luca]

I recently saw Mr. DeSantis speak and he really captivated the audience. It was impressive. Everyone there was urging him to run for office, so I'm glad to see he has taken up the challenge! He has my full support, and I can see him doing big things for Florida and the country.

[Mr. and Mrs. Larry Goode]

Mr. DeSantis spoke at our 912 meeting recently. He is an excellent speaker and gives very clear and understandable message. We are happy to hear he is running for office. We need more congress people like him.

[Ken]

Maybe Veterans in District 6 will finally get some representation in Washington.