The Issues Facing Florida’s 15th District

Data Centers: Big Tech Pays Its Own Way, Not Your Power Bill

Large data centers are coming to Florida, and a single 50-megawatt facility can draw enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes.^[3] Tampa Bay families should never be asked to finance someone else's business decision through their monthly power bill.

Florida's new data-center law (SB 484) took effect July 1, 2026. It requires any site with a peak load of 50 megawatts or more to pay its full cost of service, and it adds water-permit hearings and reclaimed-water requirements.^[1][2] Tampa Electric filed its large-load plan on Sept. 30, which would require 20-year contracts and upfront infrastructure payments. The plan still needs approval from the Public Service Commission.^[3][4]

I support innovation that creates jobs here at home. But growth has to be fair to the people who already live here, and our aquifer is not a free resource.

• Back the principle of SB 484 at the federal level: large energy users pay for the generation and transmission they require.
• Keep siting decisions local, with public hearings and full transparency. No secret deals.
• Protect Florida's fresh water. Data centers should use reclaimed water wherever it is feasible.

Lower Gas Prices Through American Energy

Cut taxes on gas until the situation with Iran stabilizes. Florida drivers are paying about $4.12 a gallon for regular and $5.95 for diesel. That is more than a dollar higher than a year ago.^[5] Prices fell from their September peak only after crude oil dropped from over $100 a barrel.^[6] Families and small businesses can't plan their budgets around a global oil market they don't control.

Put America's oil revenue to work for American drivers: use the federal royalties from drilling on public lands and offshore, along with Strategic Petroleum Reserve sales, to bring down what you pay at the pump. In fiscal year 2025 alone, the Interior Department disbursed $14.61 billion in revenue from energy production on federal lands and offshore areas.^[45]

Energy independence is national security and household security. We should remove the bureaucratic barriers and red tape that hold back American production, while still investing in innovation in clean and renewable energy.

• Cut red tape and permitting delays that keep American energy in the ground.
• Keep funding innovation in clean and renewable energy sources.
• Oppose new federal fuel taxes.

Stop the Spending: A $40 Trillion Wake-Up Call

The national debt is now over $40.3 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury's "Debt to the Penny" (Oct. 9, 2026).^[7][8] That is about $2.4 trillion more than a year ago.^[8] Reckless government spending is driving inflation and putting the American Dream at risk for our children.

I support responsible budgeting and oppose unnecessary spending abroad. Washington should spend first on the needs of American citizens, and it should balance its books the way Florida families have to.

• Work toward a balanced budget, with a real plan to bring down the national debt.
• Stop unnecessary spending abroad, and put U.S. citizens first.
• Back term limits to end career politicians' spending habits.

Bring Competition Back to Florida Insurance

Insurance costs remain a heavy burden on Florida homeowners. In 2026, Citizens Property Insurance approved its first statewide rate cut since 2015, about −5.9% on average, as private carriers return.^[9][10] Relief is small in our area, though. Hillsborough's average Citizens premium is about $2,425.^[9][10]

Competition lowers costs. I want more insurers competing for Floridians' business, in home insurance and health insurance alike.

• Introduce competition in insurance and healthcare to lower costs.
• Support Medicare negotiation with drug manufacturers to reduce prices.
• Reform the federal flood insurance program so Gulf Coast families get affordable, predictable coverage.

Secure the Border, Put American Safety First

Out-of-control immigration overwhelms our nation, strains resources and puts pressure on our social services. We need to secure our borders, enforce the laws, and put the safety and well-being of American citizens first.

At the same time, I believe in fair and effective immigration policies that uphold our values. My parents immigrated here from Bangladesh and built the American Dream I want for every family.

• Secure the border and enforce existing laws.
• Pursue fair and effective immigration policies that support national security.
• Give law enforcement and first responders the tools they need.

Government Transparency: Release the Files

I support releasing all of the Epstein files, JFK, 9/11 files. The American people pay for this government, and they have a right to know what it knows. Secrecy breeds distrust, and accountability starts with the truth.

There has been progress. Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department has published nearly 3.5 million pages.^[11] But it withheld or redacted about 200,000 pages, citing legal privileges.^[12][13] The National Archives says every JFK record previously withheld for classification was released as of March 18, 2025.^[14][15] Some material is still redacted, including major portions of the CIA's Mexico City Station history.^[16]

Families of 9/11 victims are still in court, seeking documents they believe show what Saudi government officials knew.^[17][18] The FBI's production of records in their case slowed in early 2026.^[19] Twenty-five years is too long to wait for answers.

• Push for release of all remaining Epstein, JFK and 9/11 records. Victims' identities and genuine active investigations must stay protected, but the names of those accused of wrongdoing must be made public.
• Stand with 9/11 families in their fight for the documents they need in court.
• Require agencies to publicly justify every redaction they keep.

Protect Social Security and Medicare

Seniors earned their benefits, and they deserve a government that protects them. Here in District 15, Census data shows 38.1% of Citrus County residents and 27.3% of Hernando County residents are 65 or older.^[20][21]

The trustees project the combined Social Security trust funds will run short in 2034.^[22] Medicare's own data shows a 6.55% improper payment rate in fee-for-service in 2025.^[23] Before anyone talks about cutting benefits, Washington must cut the fraud and waste.

• Cut fraud and waste in Social Security and Medicare first.
• Allow Medicare to negotiate prices directly with providers.

Hurricane Recovery: Aid That Arrives in Time

Our Gulf Coast communities know what a storm can take. Florida families are still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.^[24] Reporting in 2026 found a significant FEMA backlog leaving Florida disaster survivors waiting for help.^[25] Federal reform proposals could also shift more storm costs onto Florida.^[26]

Help that arrives after a family has drained its savings is help that arrived too late.

• Secure more federal emergency funding for District 15.
• Make sure aid arrives before families exhaust their savings.

Inflation, Waste and Tariffs

Waste and fraud in Washington drive inflation, and families feel it every time they shop. I support President Trump's tariffs, and I want them made permanent.

The courts have changed the landscape. On Feb. 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.^[27] The temporary Section 122 tariffs expired July 24, 2026, while new Section 301 tariffs took effect.^[28] Importers are now receiving refunds of about $126 billion of the roughly $166 billion collected.^[29] That's why tariffs need a permanent footing.

• Make the tariffs permanent.
• Once the budget is balanced, use tariff revenue to lower income taxes.
• Cut the waste and fraud that fuel inflation.

Healthcare Choice: Buy Insurance Across State Lines

Floridians should be able to shop for health insurance the way they shop for everything else. More choice means more competition, and competition lowers costs.

Federal law already allows states to form "health care choice compacts" for cross-state sales, but none has been created.^[30][31] It's time to make this option real for families.

• Let people buy health insurance across state lines.
• Introduce competition in insurance and healthcare to lower costs.

Iran: Bring Our Troops Home

The United States has been at war with Iran since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, 2026.^[32] Iranian attacks have hit U.S. bases across the region, and six American service members were killed in the deadliest attack, at the Port of Shuaiba.^[33] Thousands more troops and a third aircraft carrier are heading to the region.^[34]

I believe in putting America first. That means bringing our troops home, not entangling them in another endless war in the Middle East.

• Full withdrawal: no strikes and no bases.

AI Should Work for Workers

Artificial intelligence should serve workers, not replace them. Stanford researchers found that employment for workers ages 22 to 25 in the most AI-exposed jobs is now 19% below trend. In jobs where AI works alongside people, employment has held steady or grown.^[35]

Technology should make American workers more productive, not ship their jobs overseas.

• Deploy AI alongside people, not in place of them.
• Use tariff-style leverage on companies that offshore jobs because of automation.
• Protect American manufacturing jobs.

Property Taxes: Yes on Amendment 3

Florida families shouldn't be taxed out of the homes they own. Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It would also cut the cap on yearly assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10% to 5%.^[36] It is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot and needs 60% of the vote to pass.^[37]

I'll be honest: it may cut Citrus County's budget, because local governments would collect less property tax revenue.^[38] My answer is that the county must cut waste before it cuts services.

• Support Amendment 3.
• Hold county governments to cutting waste before cutting services.

Education: Trim the Bloat Before Raising Taxes

On Nov. 3, 2026, Pasco voters will decide whether to continue a one-mill school property tax from 2027 to 2031. The tax funds pay for teachers, bus drivers and non-administrator staff, plus school safety.^[39] The district says it raises about $60 million a year.^[40]

Every dollar should reach the classroom. Before asking taxpayers for more, the district should trim its administrative bloat.

• Trim district administrative bloat first.
• Raise school taxes only if that isn't enough.

Young People Deserve a Future Here

Young people in District 15 aren't struggling because there's nothing to buy. They're struggling because wages are too low and good jobs are too scarce. Median household income is $56,546 in Citrus County, $66,058 in Hernando and $70,492 in Pasco.^[41][42][43] Across Tampa Bay, rents rose 48% in five years while wages rose only 29%.^[44]

We need to bring higher-paying jobs to District 15 and make sure work pays.

• Bring higher-paying jobs to District 15.
• Hold employers to fair pay standards.