ORLANDO, Fla. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy is retiring at the end of the year from U.S. House District 7.
The district used to cover Seminole County and part of Orange County, but the Florida Legislature voted to redraw the district. It now consists of Seminole County and part of Volusia County, which gives it more Republican voters.
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On Aug. 23, eight Republicans will try to win the Republican nomination for the seat.
The candidates are Erika Benfield, Brady Duke, Ted Edwards, Cory Mills, Rusty Roberts, Anthony Sabatini, Armando Santos and Scott Sturgill.
Because Florida is a closed primary state, only Republicans can vote in this primary. You can see the Democratic candidates for U.S. House District 7 HERE.
Learn more about what that means for the rest of the election on Aug. 23 HERE.
The winner of this race will face the Democratic nominee, as well as a write-in candidate, Cardon Pompey, in the November election, which is open to all voters.
Let’s meet the candidates for the Republican primary for U.S. House District 7.
Votes
%
Erika Benfield(R)
Brady Duke(R)
Ted Edwards(R)
Cory Mills(R)
Rusty Roberts(R)
Anthony Sabatini(R)
Armando Al Santos(R)
Scott Sturgill(R)
(0 / 196)
Erika Benfield
Erika Benfield is a small business owner who formerly served as vice mayor for the city council in DeBary and has ties to Seminole County. She describes herself as an America First conservative. She is a supporter of President Trump and believes in his policies. She is pro-life, tough on immigration and pro-gun rights.
Brady Duke
Brady Duke is from Oviedo, a minister for Intervene Ministries, a law enforcement consultant and a former Navy SEAL. He is pro-life, tough on immigration and defense, and wants to pass term limits for lawmakers.
Ted Edwards
Ted Edwards is an attorney and former county commissioner for Orange County. He now has homes in New Smyrna Beach and Winter Park. A Florida native from a cattle ranch family, Edwards describes himself as a common-sense conservative. He wants to cut inflation, expand domestic oil production, finish the border wall and fight liberal policies.
Cory Mills
Cory Mills is a defense consultant and U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a Department of Defense advisor for President Trump. He currently runs a security and defense company called PACEM. He is frequently seen on conservative media outlets as a foreign policy expert. On his website, Mills touts an endorsement from the American Conservative Union, among others. He describes himself as an America First conservative.
Rusty Roberts
Rusty Roberts is a transportation expert who lives in Seminole County. He was chief of staff to Rep. John Mica, a former occupant of the seat, a vice president in government affairs for Brightline, a private company building a high-speed train from Miami to Orlando, and a Gov. DeSantis appointee to the Florida Transportation Commission.
Roberts said he believes in balancing the budget, finishing the border wall, school choice, gun rights and expanding domestic oil production. He describes himself as a “common sense conservative.”
Anthony Sabatini
Anthony Sabatini is a state representative for part of Lake County, an attorney and an American First conservative. He’s also a member of the Florida Army National Guard. He’s been known as an outspoken, full-throated defender of conservative policies in the Florida Legislature and a Trump supporter.
Sabatini wants a full audit of the elections in every state, to go after tech companies he says censor people, to crack down on illegal immigration and to implement term limits. He called for a bill to ban abortions in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. He has talked about rolling back gun restrictions in Florida and sponsored bills to do so in the Florida Legislature. He also wants to see a President Donald J. Trump High in Florida.
He has, once in a great while, worked with Democrats. He worked with Orlando State Rep. Anna Eskamani to try and kill the urban high-crime area job tax credit program, a corporate tax program, and they fought the controversial net metering bill targeting home solar energy.
However, he has the endorsement of some of the biggest hard-line conservatives in Congress, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.
Armando Santos
Armando Santos is a former Army lieutenant colonel and business owner living in Seminole County. He served in Afghanistan and in Colombia. He was working as a Department of Defense contractor in Afghanistan when the U.S. pulled out of the country. That experience is one of the reasons he is running for office because he believes the Biden administration failed in the withdrawal.
He also wants to expand energy independence, and mandate voter ID across the country at elections. He also wants to fight President Biden’s economic policies.
Scott Sturgill
Scott Sturgill is a Seminole County native and owner of a business that provides personal protective equipment to frontline workers.
Sturgill said he is running to fight business regulations and protect the country’s borders.
Votes
%
Erika Benfield(R)
Brady Duke(R)
Ted Edwards(R)
Cory Mills(R)
Rusty Roberts(R)
Anthony Sabatini(R)
Armando Al Santos(R)
Scott Sturgill(R)
(0 / 196)