Continuing with our coverage of new Members of Congress, this post we profile new Members from Florida, Georgia, Hawaii and Illinois.
Florida
Florida will have five new Members of Congress come January, all in the House of Representatives. Republican Kat Cammack will replace her former boss, Rep. Ted Yoho (D-FL), who decided to retire after the 116th Congress, as the representative for Florida’s Third Congressional District. Cammack previously served as Rep. Ted Yoho’s deputy chief of staff and also owns an independent political consulting firm. She makes no mention of education policy on her campaign website but has previously listed her three campaign themes as “fighting illegal immigration, protecting the Second Amendment, and defending the unborn.”
Representing Florida's 15th Congressional District will be Republican Scott Franklin, who defeated incumbent Rep. Ross Spano (R-FL) in the Republican primary. Prior to Congress, Franklin served in the U.S. Navy and as a city commissioner and owns a small insurance company. There is no mention of education policy priorities on his campaign website, although he has previously mentioned the need for workforce development when discussing COVID-19 relief aid.
Representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District will be Republican Byron Donalds, who is replacing the retiring Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL). Donalds currently works in financial services and was a state legislator for two terms, where he served on the education committee. Although he does not mention education policy on his website, during his time in the state legislature he advocated to expand school choice.
In Florida’s 26th Congressional District, Republican Carlos Gimenez defeated incumbent Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) in November's general election. Gimenez spent the last two decades in public service, spending the last nine years as mayor of Miami. Prior to that, he served as a county commissioner, city manager, and fire chief. Although he makes no mention of education policy on his campaign website, during his time as mayor he created an initiative called "Employ Miami Dade," which focuses on training and providing residents the necessary skills to enter the workforce.
Lastly, In Florida’s 27th Congressional District, Republican Maria Elvira Salazar defeated incumbent Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) in November's general election. Salazar is an Emmy-award winning news anchor, spending the last three decades working for various news organizations including Telemundo, CNN Espanol and Univision. According to her campaign website, she is a product of South Florida’s public school system and “all children must have access to the greatest education system possible.”
Georgia
Georgia will have atleast four new Members of Congress, all in the House of Representatives. There are still two outstanding Senate runoffs that will be held on January 5, and depending on the outcome, Georgia could welcome in additional new senators. In Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District, Democrat Nikema Williams will replace Kwanza Hall (D-GA), who won the special election in the aftermath of the death of longtime Congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis (D-GA). Williams is the current chair of the Georgia Democratic party and member of the state legislature. Although Williams does not serve on the education committee in the state legislature, it is a major tenet of her policy platform and an issue that she has long championed. According to her campaign website, in Congress she plans to advocate for access to quality education for all students, provide additional resources and supports for educators, and promote elimination of student loan debt, among other positions.
In Georgia’s Seventh Congressional District, Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux will replace Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA), who in 2019 announced he would retire after this term. Bourdeaux worked as a congressional aide and a professor at Georgia State University, and served as the director of the school’s Center for State and Local Finance. Additionally, she ran the Georgia Senate’s Budget and Evaluation Office, which provides nonpartisan budget analysis to state lawmakers. According to her campaign website, Bourdeaux will support Investments “in job training and apprenticeship programs, because career training is essential to upward mobility and a stronger economy.”
In Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District, Republican Andrew Clyde will replace Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), who stepped down to run for the U.S. Senate. Clyde is a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving multiple deployments; a small business owner; and a Tax Reform advocate. Under his “limited government” theme on his campaign website, he proclaims that the U.S. Department of Education “must go.”
Lastly, Republican Majorie Taylor Greene will be the new member representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, succeeding Rep. Tom Graves who resigned in October. Greene owns and operates a commercial construction and renovation company with her husband. She also previously owned and operated a local CrossFit gym. Greene makes no mention of education policy stances on her campaign website. Major tenets of her platform include stopping socialism, protecting the Second Amendment, defending the unborn and passing the balanced budget amendment.
Hawaii
Hawaii will have one new Member of Congress come January: Democrat Kai Kahele, who is replacing Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, in Hawaii’s Second Congressional District. Kahele has been a state senator since 2016 and is also a civilian and military pilot. He is a commissioned officer in the Hawaii Air National Guard and is a decorated combat veteran who served multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. During his time in the State Senate, he served as the chair of the Committee on Higher Education, where he advocated to “remove the barriers that prevent millions of Americans from obtaining a degree in higher education by increasing federal financial aid, incentivizing the conversion to open educational resources, eliminating application fees and offering debt forgiveness for graduates. Further, he supports “a national vocational program that will allow all high school graduates to attend community college for vocational and skills training, especially for those that come from economically disadvantaged communities.”
Illinois
Illinois will have two new Members of Congress come January, both in the House of Representatives. In Illinois’ Third Congressional District, Democrat Marie Newman defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) in the Democratic primary, then went on to win the seat in the general election. Newman has spent her career as an entrepreneur, marketing consultant and nonprofit executive. According to her campaign website, Newman intends to advocate for her “What If Workforce Center” plan, which she describes as “a unique and innovative workforce training center that would fulfill key needs in the Chicago area.” This plan includes middle skills and training, trades training, and career and upskill education.
For Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, Republican Mary Miller will replace the retiring 12-term incumbent Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL). Miller, along with her husband, run a family farm raising grain and cattle. There is no mention of education policy on her website, and she ran on the message of “family, faith and freedom.”