HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — Florida’s 12th Congressional District includes all of Citrus and Hernando counties and most of Pasco County. And this Election Day, people living there will get to vote for who they want to represent them in U.S. Congress.
There are two candidates to consider for the U.S. House of Representatives for District 12: Republican incumbent Rep. Gus Bilirakis and his challenger Democrat Rock Aboujaoude Jr.
Here's what you need to know about the two candidates running for U.S. Representative in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R)
First elected to Congress in 2006, Bilirakis, 61, is the longstanding incumbent representative for Florida's District 12.
Born in Gainesville, Bilirakis earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Stetson Law School.
In Congress, he serves as a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Health Subcommittee and Communications and Technology Subcommittee. He's also the Chairman of the Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee.
Bilirakis told the Tampa Bay Times his top 3 priorities are:
- Securing our border by enacting HR 2
- Tackling inflation through reducing spending and passage of a balanced budget amendment
- Restoring confidence in our republic by ensuring the rule of law
Rock Aboujaoude Jr. (D)
A self-proclaimed "Gen Z environmental advocate," Aboujaoude Jr. is the 27-year-old Democratic challenger looking to unseat Bilirakis.
Born and raised on a farm in Southwest Florida, Aboujaoude Jr. earned a Bachelor's in Economics and a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Ecology with a specialty in climate science from the University of Florida, according to his campaign website.
Aboujaoude Jr. says he has "expertise in Carbon Farming legislation" and served as Senior Environmental Analyst for the Florida Senate in 2020.
According to his website, Aboujaoude Jr.'s priorities include:
- Stopping Project 2025
- Protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits
- Restoring women's rights by limiting government interference in women's medical care
