Path to 4th Congressional District seat goes through Democratic and GOP primaries
Three candidates are seeking the Republican nomination and two are vying for the Democratic bid for the 4th Congressional District.
The new district was drawn by the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, setting up a wide-open battle with no incumbent on the ballot.
What area does the 4th District cover?
All of Nassau County and Clay County falls inside the district, plus about half of Duval County that is west and north of the St. Johns River.
Who's running for the Republican nomination?
Eric Aguilar, 47, retired from U.S. Navy now working as a history professor. He wants to investigate elections to reduce fraud and "bring trust back to our elections," finish construction of the southern border wall and eliminate any restrictions by Congress on constitutional rights such as First Amendment freedom of speech and Second Amendment gun ownership. He said Congress is at an "all-time low level of trust" because it keeps piling up debt.
Aaron Bean, 55, is a state senator and UF Health Jacksonville relationship development officer. He wants to attack inflation by curbing federal spending and expanding domestic oil and gas production to make the United States "energy independent." He said the federal government must tackle its debt and "the first way to get out of a hole is to stop digging." He said the federal government should step up enforcement along the southern border that is "out of control."
Jon Chuba, 34, is an insurance contract compliance employee. He wants to make the nation energy independent to bolster the economy. He supports families having the advantage over investors in buying homes if the family offers more than the asking price, even if it's less than what the investor offers. He said securing the border is "super important" and he would support a constitutional amendment "protecting life from conception."
Who's running for the Democratic Party nomination?
Tony Hill, 64, is a former state senator who most recently worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. Hill favors expansion of Jacksonville's port, saying moving more goods to consumers will help with inflation pressure. He said he will push to keep health insurance subsidies in place, to expand universal pre-kindergarten with no income limits for families, eliminate student debt for college and support voting rights legislation.
LaShonda "L.J." Holloway, 52, s a health care advocate and civil mediator. She supports raising the federal minimum wage so workers can keep pace with inflation. She backs enacting a federal law that would protect access to abortion by codifying the Roe vs. Wade ruling. She would support putting limits on how many houses investors can purchase in a neighborhood and link how fast rent can rise by using a sliding scale tied to household income. She supports strengthening federal voting rights laws.
Find out more information
Erick Aguilar: erickforcongress.com
Aaron Bean: aaronbean.com
Jon Chuba: votechuba.com
Tony Hill: tonyhillforcongress.com
LaShonda Holloway: ljhollowayforcongress.com
What happens next?
The top vote-getter in the Democratic Party primary and the winner of the Republican Party primary will square off in November for the 4th Congressional District.
Important dates
Early voting starts Monday and the general election is Nov. 8. The winners of the campaigns for the two congressional seats will take office in January for two-year terms.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Redistricting spurs primaries in Florida's 4th Congressional District
