John Bolton’s PAC announced on Thursday that it has endorsed four Florida Republicans in elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. Three of the endorsed candidates are incumbents; one is a challenger.
The three incumbents are Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-6), Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-25), and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27). The challenger is Carlos Curbelo, who has also been endorsed by Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney. Curbelo will run against incumbent Democrat Joe Garcia in Florida’s 26th Congressional District, which stretches from Miami to Key West, if he defeats several challengers in next month’s Republican primary in that district.
“Going into 2016, the importance of succeeding in Florida can’t be understated,” Bolton said in a statement issued Thursday morning. “I’m committed to helping Florida Republicans win this November so that come 2016 we’re able to create the change America needs.”
DeSantis is seen as a rising conservative star, while Díaz-Balart is a strong supporter of amnesty.
Bolton had words of praise for all four candidates. Of DeSantis, Bolton said “[a]s a former JAG officer and current Navy reserve, Ron is a leader and understands the importance of a strong U.S. national security policy.
Bolton said Díaz-Balart “has been representing South Florida over two decades. He understands the need for strong national security policy and is the right person to represent the 25th district.”
Ros-Lehtinen, Bolton said, “understands this is a changing and challenging world. As the former Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, she has become a leader on American foreign policy.”
Bolton noted that Curbelo, the son of Cuban immigrants, “represents a new generation of Republican leadership that will bring new ideas and direction to Congress.”
In February, the Sunshine State News reported that Curbelo was “very satisified that Republicans are part of trying to fix our broken immigration [system].” The report added that “Curbelo said he backed Boehner’s efforts [on immigration reform].”
To date, the John Bolton SuperPAC and the John Bolton PAC have raised more than $4.5 million. Between them they have $3 million in cash on hand.
Bolton’s PAC has endorsed and contributed to 17 candidates during this election cycle, many of whom are identified with the establishment wing of the Republican party, including former Senator Scott Brown, running for the Senate in New Hampshire, Thom Tillis, who defeated a Tea Party challenger for the Republican nomination for the Senate in North Carolina, former Republican National Committee Chairman and Karl Rove ally Ed Gillespie, the Republican nominee for Senate in Virginia, and Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
Bolton’s PAC has also endorsed Tea Party aligned Senate candidates, including Tom Cotton in Arkansas and Joni Ernst in Iowa.
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