Trump-backed Republican faces ‘caring Karen’ Democrat in Congressional District 7

A Trump-backed Republican who doesn’t think Joe Biden legitimately won the presidency is vying to flip a Central Florida congressional seat against a Democratic political strategist who is branding herself a “caring Karen.”

Cory Mills, an Army veteran and defense contractor, is facing off against Karen Green, vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party, in the 7th Congressional District.

Green is seeking to portray Mills as a radical who is out of step with the views of the district, which includes Seminole County and parts of Volusia County.

“We don’t need another Marjorie Taylor Greene in sending Cory there,” she said, referring to the Georgia congresswoman known for embracing conspiracy theories.

Mills, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, said in an interview before the GOP primary that “societal degeneracy” spurred him to run. He beat out a crowded field of Republican contenders in the primary, including ultra-conservative state Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

“I started looking at the prioritization of tearing apart the nuclear family,” Mills said. “I started looking at ... American exceptionalism disappearing.”

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a moderate Democrat, decided not to seek re-election in District 7. Redistricting made the territory more favorable to Republicans with the addition of GOP-friendly parts of Volusia County.

Mills operates PACEM Solutions, a company that sells tear gas and riot control gear to police. During the primary, he joked in a campaign ad that he would tear gas the “liberal media” and help them “shed some real tears.”

Another ad compared prominent Democratic leaders to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Campaign billboards showed him standing next to Trump, who officially endorsed him after the primary.

Mills, 42, said he grew up in Central Florida, served overseas in the military, spent time in Virginia and recently moved to New Smyrna Beach. His resume includes a stint as a defense adviser in the Trump administration.

He didn’t respond to an interview request ahead of the general election on Nov. 8. Green has accused him of dodging debates.

Green, 57, is Jamaican born and serves as the vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party. She’s lived in Florida for nearly 30 years and has served as a campaign manager and political strategist, according to her bio. She lives in DeBary, according to her campaign.

She is vowing to take a compassionate approach if voters send her to Washington, saying she wants to be known as a “caring Karen.”

“I’m not a Trump elite supported person. ... I don’t even have wealthy friends,” Green said. “What I have is that most of my contributions have come from locals.”

During the primary, Green faced questions about her academic credentials with opponent Al Krulick accusing her of misrepresenting her background. On her LinkedIn page, she cites a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology from the University of Technology in Jamaica; an honorary doctorate in religion, philosophy and humanities from CICA International University & Seminary; a postgraduate degree in intercultural/ multicultural and diversity studies from Cornell University; and a doctorate of industrial psychology studies and master of business administration from the University of Greenwich.

She refers to herself as a reverend doctor.

Asked about Krulick’s accusations, Green said she never misrepresented her academic credentials and had “studied with Cornell doing courses” and in England. Her campaign provided a letter from the University of Technology wishing her a successful campaign; diplomas from CICA International University; and a chaplain’s license from Word of Life Ministries International.

The campaign didn’t provide any documentation from Cornell University or the University of Greenwich.

Mills has faced questions over his company’s work supplying tear gas. Politico reported the business sold tear gas that was fired at Black Lives Matter protesters and purchased another company that sold rubber bullets used against protesters in Hong Kong.

Mills told the Orlando Sentinel that his critics are trying to “vilify” his company and its work.

“I stand by our men and women in blue, and I always will, and I will not be intimidated,” he said.

The two candidates hold vastly different views on some key issues.

Mills is calling for a temporary halt in immigration, saying the country needs a moratorium to secure its borders. Green said the United States should take a “humanitarian” approach in helping countries improve the conditions causing people to flee.

On abortion, Mills said he was “very happy” to see the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, and he thinks states should decide whether to criminalize abortion. Green said she is a strong supporter of abortion rights.

The candidates differ on Ukraine. Mills said he doesn’t support using taxpayer dollars to provide arms to Ukraine, saying the money should be invested at home. Green backs providing support.

Guns are another area of disagreement. Green said she thinks more screening is needed for the purchase of AR-15-style guns. Mills doesn’t support any gun control measures, including red-flag laws that allow law enforcement to temporarily seize weapons from people suspected of being dangerous.

Green said she views climate change as a serious issue and supports “policies that will move us to a greener future.” Mills said climate change has “existed with or without Americans,” and the focus should be on helping people economically.

They also don’t agree on the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election. Mills said he doesn’t view Biden as the “legitimate” president because of “a multitude of fraud that has been found throughout multiple states.”

He said he thinks the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is biased and politically motivated.

“Rather than them launching the J-6 select committee, they should have been looking at a Nov. 3 committee to reinstall the competence of Americans, have a full 2020 election audit,” Mills said. “And that way when we move into 2022 and 2024 people can feel comfortable knowing that their vote counts.”

Despite baseless claims from Trump, no evidence of widespread voter fraud has been found in the 2020 presidential election.

sswisher@orlandosentinel.com Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election.