This past week marked my first full week on the ground in this grassroots campaign. It was a slow start by design. No fanfare. No theatrics. Just real conversations with real people across our community.
I spoke with working families, retirees, young professionals, business owners, attorneys, and parents just trying to stay afloat. Some identified as Republicans. Others as Democrats. Many did not disclose a political label at all.
Interestingly, what mattered most was not party. It was pressure. Pressure on their finances. Pressure on their future. Pressure on their families.
Three issues came through consistently and clearly.
Insurance Costs Are Hurting Families More Than Property Taxes
More than anything else, families pointed to insurance. Not just home insurance. Auto insurance. Flood insurance. Health insurance. Premiums are rising at a pace that no longer feels connected to reality or risk.
Several families told me directly that insurance now costs them more each month than their actual property taxes. That is backward. That is unsustainable. And that is not being addressed seriously at the federal level.
To me, this is not a partisan issue. This is a cost-of-living crisis driven by regulatory failure, risk mismanagement, and lack of national reform. And families are paying the price.
Wages Are Not Keeping Up With the Cost of Living
The second issue was compensation. Families are working. Many are working overtime. Some are working two or three jobs. Yet their pay barely supports the most basic needs.
Housing. Insurance. Healthcare. Gas. Groceries.
These are no longer “budget line items.” They appear to be survival expenses. And wages in Florida are not rising at the same pace as the cost of living. That gap is forcing families into constant financial triage.
When every paycheck is already allocated before it even arrives, something is broken in the system.
A Deep Lack of Trust in the Political System
The most striking takeaway was how many people openly told me they do not vote, or have never voted, because they feel their voice does not matter.
Some said they fear their vote could contribute to a bad policy. Others believe the system is already predetermined. And many simply feel ignored.
Regardless of the reason, one truth stands out: When citizens no longer believe their vote matters, the Republic weakens.
And restoring trust in government is about accountability. Such restoration becomes about policies that actually improve daily life, not just poll well.
What I Can Do in Congress?
I am realistic about the role of a Member of Congress. I will not promise you that I can control state property taxes. Also, I will not be able to set local zoning rules. However, I can shape national policy. Such policies to represent the lived realities of Florida families, and force accountability where federal action clearly affects state outcomes.
For instance, federal insurance law. Federal labor policy. Federal healthcare cost structures. Federal regulatory pressure. These all directly influence what families feel at the kitchen table each month. Just as I shared at my own kitchen table. And I take that responsibility seriously.
Two Federal Policy Priorities to Lower Costs and Improve Quality of Life For Floridans
- National Insurance Market Accountability and Risk Reform
Florida families should not be punished for failures in national risk management. I support federal reforms that:
- Increase transparency in insurance underwriting
- Expand national reinsurance backstops to stabilize markets
- Reduce regulatory duplication that inflates premiums
- Hold insurers accountable for rate increases tied to real risk, not profit padding
Insurance is meant to protect families, not financially trap them.
- Wage Growth Through Small Business and Workforce Expansion
Real wage growth does not come from mandates. It comes from productivity, competition, and opportunity. I support:
- Federal tax relief for small businesses that expand payroll
- Workforce development tied directly to industry demand
- Skilled labor pathways that increase earning power without forcing college debt
- Regulatory reform that allows employers to scale without strangulation
When businesses grow, wages rise. When wages rise, families breathe.
Florida is a beautiful place to live and raise a family. But that beauty is easily masked when families are forced to calculate every single dollar just to survive. When people feel trapped, priced out, and ignored, something is fundamentally wrong.
This campaign is about confronting that reality directly. Not with excuses. Not with talking points. But with policy, accountability, and outcomes.
Week one is complete. And we are just getting started.
