Congressional candidates face-off for open seat

The Republican Club of Greater St Augustine president Gary Bruce informed Historic City News that the seven Republican candidates for the Florida 6th US Congressional District have confirmed their attendance at a candidates’ forum to be held on Monday July 9.

The forum will provide an opportunity to meet, greet and listen to the candidates’ positions on a host of issues that are critically important to the voters of Northeast Florida as well as the nation.

Anyone following the all-important 2012 General Election knows that based on the results of the 2010 US Census, Florida gained two new seats in the US House of Representatives.

The Florida Legislature had to redraw the existing election maps to incorporate this significant change. In the re-districting process, the legislature created a newly defined Florida 6th Congressional District. This new 6th district stretches south from St Johns County to the Canaveral National Seashore through Daytona Beach.

Because it is essentially a new district, there is no incumbent office holder and the field is wide open; with seven Republicans and two Democrats candidates qualified and in the running.

The seven confirmed attendees are State Representative Fred Costello; Ron DeSantis, an Iraq War veteran and former prosecutor; William Kogut, a construction contractor; Craig Miller, a businessman who served with the US Air Force in the Vietnam War; Alec Peuschel, Beverly Slough, Chairman, St. Johns County School District Board; and Richard Clark, member of the Jacksonville City Council.

The Republican Club of Greater St Augustine is hosting this event at the St Augustine Shrine Club located at 250 Brainard Drive in St Augustine.

A social, providing a chance to talk one-on-one with the candidates, starts at 6:30 pm. The forum will be held from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. A cash bar is available with the proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children. There is no charge for attending and extensive free parking is available on site.