Two US Congressional Representatives Tussle for Florida's District 7
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
By: Matthew Peddie

John Mica and Sandy Adams both represent Florida in the US house of representatives, but now they're fighting for a single seat. The two candidates are burnishing their conservative credentials as they tussle over Central Florida's District 7.

District 7 used to stretch all the way from John Mica’s home in Winter Park to St. Augustine, covering Flagler and St Johns counties, and parts of Putnam, Orange, Seminole and Volusia.

Redistricting meant Sandy Adams’ Space Coast based District 24 migrated south, leaving Adams  to scrap with Mica for the redrawn District 7, which now centers on Seminole, and parts of Orange and Volusia counties.

Mica is the powerful chair of the US house transportation committee, and he’s held onto District 7 nearly 20 years, long enough for people to know who he is. Under siege from his opponent Sandy Adams, he’s flying his conservative colors.

“You get to election year, and people want to know what you’ve done, and what you stand for, and I think I’ve got a very strong record of cutting waste, government bureaucracy and also of providing leadership.” 

Mica says he’s proud of his record and his business savvy which he says is critical to building the local economy.

But congresswoman Sandy Adams says he’s exactly the kind of insider politician voters want out of government.

“We have to stop spending more than we take in, we need to be responsible with the taxpayers money and they want Washington as usual to stop.” 

Adams has attacked Mica for big ticket items, like a highway transportation bill which she says betrays a promise he made about highway tolls.

“It was his bill, he put the tolls on I-4 after telling people he would not. That’s a career politician.” 

Adams swept into congress two years ago in a wave of freshmen backed by the tea party.

Last time she defeated a Democrat, but this time she’s up against a formidable Republican.

As a Florida state representative for 8 years, Adams is no political new comer, but she’s staking her claim as a cost cutting outsider to distance herself from Mica.

 “I am not a career politican. I am, and remain a citizen legislator.” 

Meanwhile, John Mica rejects Adams’ critique of the highway bill.  He says it leaves free lanes alone but specifies if tolls are levied on brand new lanes,

“then you have to use the money for the construction or to reduce indebtedness, which would reduce or eliminate the tolls. So that’s total political malarkey.” 

The Mica-Adams showdown is hogging the headlines in the district, but there is also a democratic primary on August 14^th.

Nicholas Ruiz teaches humanities at the University of Central Florida, and he believes his new-deal Democrat platform, including support for universal healthcare and public works will resonate with voters.

But his rival Jason Kendall, who works for a social media company, says Ruiz is too far to the left.

Kendall, who identifies as a blue dog Democrat, hopes to make it through the primary and then win moderate votes in November with policies that include welfare reform and cuts to federal spending.

“John Mica’s 20 year establishment man, he’s as ingrained in that system as you can be," says Kendall.

And while Sandy Adams has been endorsed by high profile tea-party members, Kendall thinks that could end up being a hindrance. "Getting endorsed by Allan West or Sarah Palin might work in some places but I know a lot of people were really turned off by that endorsement,” says Kendall.

Both John Mica and Sandy Adams say they’ll be out campaigning right up until election night