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Candidates for Florida’s 14th Congressional District took the stage at the non-partisan forum Tiger Bay Club in Tampa last week.
Candidates from the district covering most of Tampa and parts of Pinellas County answered questions on a variety of topics, including gun control. Also present were candidates for District 15.
Republicans Rocky Rochford, Neelam Perry, and Ehsan Joarder are running for the Republican nomination.
Republican John Peters is also running but was not present at the event.
The winner of the primary election will face Democratic incumbent Kathy Castor, who wasn’t present at the forum, and Libertarian Nathaniel Snyder in November’s general election.
They’ll also face Christopher Brady, a non-affiliated candidate, who wasn’t at the forum.
Candidates faced questions from a non-partisan audience, including Bishop Michelle Patty – who lost both her son and grandson to gun violence.
“How many of you all are willing to take on the the gun manufacturers and tighten up the laws with the gun manufacturers?”
Perry, a Republican, went against the grain and advocated for gun control laws.
“People have their second amendment right. But your right stops when the other person’s right to life begins.”
However, Rockford said mental illness must be addressed, not gun laws.
“Let’s help solve mental illness in our country, and stop going after guns because they are only the tool.”
Joarder also thought gun laws should be protected.
“That’s my stance on it – no it shall not be infringed.”
Most candidates stayed on party lines while discussing thoughts on abortion and other key topics.
Among many topics was the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, and the January 6th riots.
Joarder had this to say.
“When patriots in this country go to defend our rights and our constitutional rights, we get thrown in jail for walking into our capitol that we pay for as taxpayers.”
Perry said the election wasn’t fair, and Rochford said he had “no idea”. Libertarian Nathaniel Snyder kept his comment short.
“I’ll keep it quick — it’s 2024, I really don’t care what happened in 2020 anymore.”
A 2021 Associated Press review found “far too little vote fraud” to tip the 2020 election to former president Donald Trump.
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