When the vote count rolled in, it revealed that incumbent U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) successfully defended her seat by approximately 60% against Democratic opponent Tom Wells.
With a history of outspoken support for expanded gun rights, abortion bans and securing the Southern border, Cammack — a self proclaimed “conservative with grit” — is expected to maintain a similar course during her third congressional term.
District 3, which encompasses the entirety of Alachua County along with 11 other North Central Florida counties, has been overseen by the 36-year-old Gainesville resident for four years.
After beating her primary election challengers by about 87% of the vote, Cammack emerged victorious in her head-to-head race against Wells, who previously ran for the congressional seat and lost four times.
“I’m so proud to represent this amazing district and to keep up our continued momentum. It’s time to keep fighting!” Cammack posted on X.
Well known for her dislike of the Biden administration and fierce confrontational language, she steered her platform on the foundation of conservative-backed ideology and pursuing “the American dream.” The “budget hawk” stressed the need to tackle inflation, which she said was a cause of left-wing legislation, and increase affordability through tax reductions, according to her campaign website.
Cammack received financial contributions for the primary and general elections from the National Rifle Association, American Israel Public Affairs Political Action Committee, Duke Energy Co., Home Depot Inc., The Boeing Company and Pfizer Inc., among others.
In his fifth attempt to finally secure District 3, Wells fell short of victory. As a former small business owner with a doctorate degree in theoretical physics, the 74-year-old Gainesville resident competed for the seat with a focus on preventing global climate change during an election that he considered to be a “test of democracy vs. facism,” according to his campaign website.
Following consistent losses, four times as a Democratic candidate and once as an Independent, Wells said he is unsure whether another congressional run will be on the horizon.
“The game is completely changing,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do, and none of which is being done right now.”
District 3, which was previously dominated by Democratic oversight, has swayed toward favoritism of right-wing candidates since 2013.
Contact Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp at rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rylan_digirapp.
Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp is a third year journalism and environmental science major and the Fall 2024 Enterprise Environmental Reporter. Outside of the newsroom, you can usually find her haunting local music venues.
