WITH LESS than three months to go before the midterm elections, Republicans have the House of Representatives in their sights. Specifically, the National Republican Congressional Committee has targeted 47 Democratic-held seats, including Florida’s 7th District. There, the GOP is faced with the following dilemma: nominate Cory Mills (the candidate of the establishment Republicans) or Anthony Sabatini (the candidate supported by the more conservative movement or MAGA).
Sabatini — a 33-year-old lawyer, captain in the Florida Army National Guard, and a member of the Florida House — is seeking his party’s nomination to set foot in Washington DC.
Sabatini’s Background
Sabatini was born in 1988 in Smithtown, New York. When he was one year old, his family moved to Florida, where he attended elementary school, high school, and college. He earned a B.A. in philosophy and history from the University of Florida in 2012 and a J.D. from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 2017.
Before graduating, he prepared to serve as an infantry officer in the Florida Army National Guard and has been a continuous member since 2008. Back in 2020, Captain Sabatini completed 100 days of service during the state’s response to Coronavirus, helping to establish regional testing points, earning him the Army Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Award and the Armed Forces Service Medal.
As for his legal activity, he is employed in an office in Clermont, which specializes in lawsuits against the government for violations of the rights of small business owners.
In 2018, he jumped right into the political arena and ran for the Republican nomination for the 32nd District of the Florida House of Representatives.
In March 2021, the state representative hinted that he might seek a House seat and, after flirting with the 11th District, ultimately settled on challenging Democrat Stephanie Murphy in the 7th District.
So far, the state representative has received several major endorsements ahead of his election race, including from Republican Representatives Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Yoho, Matt Gaetz, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Turning Point USA Action and retired General Michael Flynn.
Breaking Down the Sabatini’s Agenda and Proposals
According to his own website, Sabatini’s agenda includes topics for which he has offered solutions in the past. Specifically, he presented legislation for each of the following issues:
- Cracking down on Big Tech censorship.
- Securing election security.
- Ending illegal immigration.
- Protecting the 2nd Amendment.
- Protecting women’s sports from trans individuals.
- Creating term limits for EVERY politician.
- Bringing the President Donald J. Trump Highway to Florida.
- Protecting the right to life.
In a conversation with El American, Sabatini said that, today, “the biggest issues facing the country (…) are the invasion at the southern border, the runaway Biden inflation which is systematically destroying the middle class, and the erosion of our freedoms through unlimited administrative law.”
For this reason, he commented that “the first proposal I’m going to be sponsoring [if I get to Congress] is the impeachment of Joe Biden.”
In the interview with El American, the state representative also said that, in terms of political identification, he felt strongly identified with Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie and also with former President Thomas Jefferson.
He also spoke of the Latino electorate, a demographic that, according to recent polls, strongly disapproves of President Joe Biden’s administration and, moreover, is moving away from the Democratic Party to embrace Republican Party candidates in the midterm elections.
“Hispanic voters are patriotic flag-waving god fearing conservative Americans and they are tired of being talked down to by the corrupt Biden administration,” Sabatini said.
Sabatini’s Role as State Representative
In his nearly four years as a congressman, Sabatini’s record leaves little doubt. He has a 95% Club for Growth score and he boasts being the only elected official in Florida with a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union (ACU) in 2020.
In addition, Sabatini is a staunch supporter of carrying firearms without a license, opposes Cancel Culture, BLM-influenced riots, and is very close to former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis.
His staunch support for Trump is shown in his proposal to change the name of the Florida section of U.S. Route 27 to “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”
In a conversation with El American, Cesar Ybarra, vice president of policy for FreedomWorks, a libertarian-conservative group, his organization is supporting Sabatini’s candidacy because they believe he will be “a great conservative in Congress.”
“Our activists in Florida have done a lot to get his message out, to educate people about who Sabatini is and what he’s done in the legislature, what he’s done to keep businesses open, to advocate for less taxes, less regulations, less war. He’s a war veteran too, he’s a National Guard captain in Florida. Anthony Sabatini is going to be a great conservative and that’s why FreedomWorks for America is supporting him,” Ybarra said.
In a Republican primary overflowing with names, Rep. Sabatini finds himself in a neck-and-neck race with Cory Mills. According to the latest poll conducted for Florida Politics, only 2 percentage points separate the candidates who will face each other this Tuesday, August 23, in a truly close race. Regardless of who wins the primary, polls indicate that this seat will be red in November and would help Republicans reclaim control of the House of Representatives.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón is a journalist at El American specializing in the areas of American politics and media analysis // Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón es periodista de El American especializado en las áreas de política americana y análisis de medios de comunicación.
Contacto: [email protected]