First-time Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida’s Fourth District (Amelia Island, Jacksonville south to St. Augustine) Donna Deegan, former on-air anchor and 3 X breast cancer survivor has gotten some attention with her record-breaking fundraising, rafts of volunteers, and adorable dog, Augie. But the persistent question is, who is she running against? It’s an unusual question since her opponent is a two-term incumbent—Rep. John Rutherford, the 20-year Sheriff of Duval County, FL.
But honestly, he has been a back-bencher for three years, though a handsomely-financed one. He hasn’t conducted a public Town Hall in the district since he was first elected in 2016 (though he has one coming up in a few weeks), preferring to speak in private corporate venues. But he sparked a bit of a Twitterstorm today with some remarks he chose to type about a statement Rep. Pramila Jayarapal (D. Wa.7th) made after emerging from the national security “briefing.”
Some folks thought he might have been emboldened to speak up against Rep. Jayarapal for some very particular reasons.
To say that this got ratioed, that Rep. Rutherford got more attention, way more negative than positive, with this tweet than with any other act, official or unofficial in his three years in Congress would be an understatement. A couple of examples will suffice:
And the ever-popular
In other news, Rep Florida Man also signed the amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, which largely flew under the radar last week.