HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA — In Florida’s newly redrawn congressional district 15, Democrat Alan Cohn is running against Republican Laurel Lee over an open seat. Cohn is a former investigative journalist for ABC 7 News in Sarasota, where he worked on stories uncovering corruption. Lee is a former federal prosecutor and Secretary of State under Governor Ron DeSantis.
“I was the one who broke the story of the biggest political corruption case in Hillsborough County over the last decade," Cohn told a sister station to his former employer in October. “So, when it goes to the US Congress, I want to do the very same thing that Tampa Bay viewers and voters have seen me do for many years now.”
PROMISES TO GO AFTER CORRUPTION
Cohn is endorsed by top Florida Democrats, including gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Crist, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as well as ousted former State Attorney Andrew Warren. Cohn is also supported by several unions, including the Teamsters and United Association.
Despite the far-Left endorsements, Cohn promises to bring an independent and critical perspective to Congress, should he be elected:
“Alan will go after any and all government corruption, even if it means investigating the President of the United States, be it a Democrat or Republican,” Cohn’s website says.
ABORTION BIGGEST ISSUE
The Florida Standard has not been able to locate any contact information for Alan Cohn. But he has previously stated that his top priority among the issues in this election are abortion rights.
“Number one is to make sure that women have a right to make their own healthcare decisions," Cohn told ABC Action News Tampa Bay. "To make sure that freedom is not just a punchline but means something in our country. To bring accountability to government.”
BACKED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Not surprisingly, Cohn’s opponent Laurel Lee – a former federal prosecutor – has strong support among law enforcement, being endorsed by the sheriffs of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties, plus Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
Lee was raised in Hillsborough County by a two-star Air Force general and a school teacher. During her time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she also served as the coordinator for the Violence Against Women Act, the coordinator for the interagency Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group and the lead prosecutor for the Child Exploitation Task Force as part of a nationwide effort to combat sex trafficking of children.
“There is a lot at stake in this election and Washington needs principled, conservative Republicans in Congress, and I believe I am the right leader for Congressional District 15. I have proven experience serving as a prosecutor and judge, where I stood shoulder to shoulder working with law enforcement, and then I served alongside Governor Ron DeSantis as Secretary of State before becoming a Republican candidate,” Laurel Lee tells The Florida Standard.
ECONOMY TOP PRIORITY
Laurel Lee believes that the main issue facing Floridians and Americans right now is the economy.
“Our economy is affecting everyone, from our families and hardworking Americans to our businesses and workforce, and it’s one of the driving forces that led me to run for Congress. We must reverse the damage that has been done to our economy, so we can fight inflation and its effects, secure America and make us energy independent again,” she says, adding that she wants to revive the Keystone pipeline.
