Overview
- Cawthorn filed FEC paperwork and announced his campaign Wednesday, releasing a video pledging to back President Donald Trump and an America First agenda.
- He is seeking the safe Republican seat in southwest Florida that Rep. Byron Donalds is leaving to run for governor.
- Florida’s 19th District, which includes Naples, Cape Coral and Fort Myers, was carried by Trump by roughly 30 points in 2024, making the GOP primary the decisive contest.
- The Republican field already includes former Rep. Chris Collins, former Illinois state senator Jim Oberweis, Marine aviator Mike Pedersen and broadcaster Jim Schwartzel, with Democrat Howard Sapp also running.
- Cawthorn’s bid follows a Sept. 10 arrest in Florida for failing to appear in court on a traffic matter and revives scrutiny of past controversies, including a 2022 guilty plea for bringing a handgun to a Charlotte airport.