HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Incumbent Republican Rep. Laurel Lee is projected to win her reelection bid for the U.S. Congressional District 15 seat and defeat Democratic candidate Patricia "Pat" Kemp, according to the Associated Press.
District 15 covers eastern Hillsborough County, including Thonotosassa, Plant City and part of Brandon. The district also includes parts of Pasco and Polk counties, including all of Zephyrhills and west Lakeland.
Before running for Congress in 2022, Laurel Lee was a federal prosecutor and judge and was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida's 36th secretary of state. According to her campaign website, she's a "strong supporter" of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.
Since her time in Congress, Lee has reportedly been a strong opponent of the current Biden administration and was an "impeachment manager" when House Republicans brought articles against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
Here are some of the issues she is focused on, according to her campaign website:
- Economy
- Law enforcement
- Second Amendment
- Families
- Border security
- Elections
- Military and veterans
- America First