Seven Republicans and one Democrat running for Congress in Northeast Florida answered audience questions at the Tiger Bay Club Friday.
Republican candidates Lake Ray, Steve Kaufman, Bill McClure, Deborah Katz-Pueschel, Hanz Tanzler, Ed Malin, John Rutherford and lone democrat David Bruderly are all taking a shot at Ander Crenshaw’s soon-to-be vacated District 4 congressional seat.
All addressed how they’d court the moderate vote. Kaufman, a marketing firm owner, said his business background has allowed him to see all sides of issues.
“You know what a reject is? Republicans who enjoy just engaging in confrontation and talk,” he said. “I don’t want to do that.“
Ray, who's served as a state representative over the last eight years, said he engaged Democrats to get JAXPORT funding.
Rutherford said when he was the chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Association he “worked across the aisle” to get bills passed.
Katz-Pueschel said she’s worked across party lines by testifying in front of Congress about aviation and occupational health.
Malin, owner of Angie’s Subs, opposes a federal income tax and said the first step to unite parties is taxing all services and goods.
“Instituting it immediately puts all of us on a level playing field because we all purchase things,” Malin said.
Tanzler said common ground can be found in the need for legal immigration.
And McClure believes there’s only one answer: taking special interest money out of politics.
Rutherford also addressed comments he’s made that Black Lives Matter should be a designated hate group. He began stating “all lives matter.”
“When you use rhetoric to incite violence, that is a hate group,” he said. “When we see people walking down the streets of New York talking about the police ‘wrap them up and fry them like bacon,’ that has gotten police officers killed all over this country.”
Local candidates can be met at the political Hob Nob 2016 event hosted by Tiger Bay at Everbank Field, beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.
Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride
