Congressional Candidate Jimmy Patronis Talks F-35 Program, Affordable Housing and Daycare in Niceville

Why Did You Decide to Run for Congress?

“I’m born and raised in Northwest Florida. I love this part of the country. I’ve got the experience and the track record to show that I can make a difference, and I’ve got small boys. Our country has been at a crossroads. I was excited about this last election with both the Electoral College and winning a majority of the voters across our nation, Democrats, independents, were also sick and tired of the current status quo of our country. So it’s again, it’s a historic opportunity to work hard and get our country back on track, get rid of the woke and add more wall. It’s overwhelming, what I have heard on the campaign trail – and how many people are telling me how sick and tired they are of inflation. They’re sick and tired of buckets full of money going to Ukraine when they can’t afford eggs. So, you know, this is a different type of sacrifice that we’re going to make, but it’s worth it. The fight is definitely worth it.”

What Would You Do About Northwest Florida’s Affordable Housing Issues?

“Yeah, look, at the end of the day, Florida has been a beacon of hope in our nation. So there has been a migration of folks that have come to this state, but that puts stresses on a lot of the resources, including housing availability. And as we’re seeing, a migration last year alone, 400,000 new net Floridians came to the state of Florida. They’re bringing their money with them. They’re bringing their wealth, but they also they bring extra loads to our roads. And like I said, getting back to the housing capacity availability, so you look at those contributing problems that we’ve got, we have got an environment where cost per square foot of construction right now is higher than it’s ever been in our country’s history, and interest rates with those two items being high, it makes owning a home almost impossible. One of the best forces for Good is home ownership. When somebody plants their roots, they start to care about their community. When they care about their community, they worry about the quality of the schools, they think about raising their kids, they think about the investment they’re going to make. The environment we’re in right now, we’ve had over the last four years in Washington has just been a sucker punch to that dream, and that is one of the biggest goals I’ve got, is turning that, that narrative around, do what we’ve done in Florida, take it to Washington, DC, and make a difference. One of the best things you could have for strength of community is creating a family. And when you have families, they when you have a young couple, and they become a family, they become a stronger part of the community. And when you have strong families that create strong communities, that creates for a strong state. But if things like child care are elusive and it’s hard to get them, it makes it hard, because the environment right now, every household has a two-income, maybe almost a three-income household just to afford the ridiculous cost of living that the Biden administration has shoved down our throats with what kind.”

Christopher: What policy actions would you take if you were elected to Congress to bring down the cost of housing and childcare?

“the biggest thing is, I tell people all the time that, in the case of Tallahassee, the citizens of the state of Florida spend their money better than Tallahassee does. I’m carrying that same type of expectation out of Washington when you put the dollars back in; the citizens of CD-1 [Florida Congressional District 1] will spend the money better than Washington D.C. does, so, whether it be through continuing to ensure that the Trump tax cuts stay in place, or just to continue to fight against the foolishness of even what we’ve seen with this most recent CR [Continuing Resolution] and the concessions that were being made that were not what The voters in this past election cycle expected to see out of their congressional leaders.”

Should The Military Continue to Support the F-35 Fighter Jet Program?

“The F-35 is a huge part of the economic engine in Northwest Florida. So when you look at what has been invested in it, I think I’ll look at any time, even when there’s a new shipbuilder, there’s, in this particular case, F-35 you’re going to have advancements in technology that also need to be factored in to how quick the war fighter is having to deal with the changes globally. The F-35 is still the most superior equipment out there that is in production and is making it around with our allies. And to have it, you know, the schoolhouse for it right here in Northwest Florida, that’s a big deal. But look, you also have the finger point that’s taking place because of what’s taking place in Ukraine. There is, there is a lot of sentiment. The United States right now, where the frustrations that we’re seeing, where billions of dollars are going unchecked, unaudited, to other parts of the world, we have no control over it. So yeah, I could see where, where Elon and crew would be concerned about those type of expenditures because of what’s happening, because this administration is sending bucket loads of money to other parts of the world without any oversight, without any congressional approval.”

Other Candidates

A total of 16 people have declared their intention and plunked several thousand dollars in filing fees down to seek the office of Congressperson for the first congressional district.

Thirteen Republicans, a Democrat, and several write-ins make up the field.

The Primary election takes place on January 28 and will only allow registered Republicans to vote, as Florida is a closed primary state.

The primary winner will then face off against Democrat Gay Valimont and several write-in candidates in the general election on April 1, 2025.

In the meantime, the first congressional district has no representation in Congress.