Brady Duke
| Brady Duke | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Political Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse | Julie Duke | ||
| Religion | Christian | ||
| Military Service | |||
| Allegiance | United States | ||
| Service/branch | United States Navy | ||
| Unit | United States Navy SEALs | ||
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan | ||
| Awards | Two Navy Commendation Medals | ||
Brady Duke is a decorated former Navy SEAL[1] and Christian minister who is currently running for the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 7th congressional district, currently held by Democrat Stephanie Murphy, in the 2022 midterm elections.[2] In announcing his bid for Congress, Duke stated:[3]
| “ | I’ve served our nation in combat. I looked into the face of evil. I am not going to back down from any fight in Washington. As a father of five, I fought to protect American families overseas, and I'm ready to do it again in Congress. | ” |
| —Duke, May 25, 2021 | ||
Contents
Background
A native of central Florida who excelled in swimming,[1] Duke completed BUD/S training in 2007 to become a Navy SEAL.[3] According to a press release, he served as a sniper and breacher in the Middle East.
2022 U.S. House election in Florida's 7th district
In late May 2021, Duke announced his candidacy to run against establishment Democrat Rep. Murphy in the 2022 midterms.[3] He emerged in the campaign on conservative positions, stating:
| “ | Now, I’m a husband and father of five, and I’ve seen too many professional politicians compromising our country’s future and security. I’m ready to face these challenges to cut taxes, secure our border, defend life, and ensure the safety of our families at home and abroad. | ” |
Murphy initially intended to run for U.S. Senate against establishment conservative Republican Marco Rubio and would face Rep. Val Demings in the Democrat primary,[4] though backtracked on May 24, 2021, the day prior to Duke's announcement for U.S. House.[3] Duke commented on Murphy's backtracking:
| “ | It sounds like she’s more so in it for her own political gain and pursuing, what’s best for herself and her political career, rather than the American people. | ” |
Indeed, Murphy did not repudiate incumbent White House officeholder Joe Biden over the Fall of Kabul.[5] Along with several other Navy SEALs including former Montana congressman Ryan Zinke, Duke in November 2021 condemned the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan as "deeply un-American,"[6] adding on:[7]
| “ | I think it’s really sad to see the leadership at this point seeming to be careless about taking responsibility for what was a botched withdrawal. | ” |
Brady also said of Murphy:[2]
| “ | Stephanie Murphy won’t stand up to AOC or President Biden who want to raise taxes and enact radical policies that hurt Central Florida families. I fought to protect American families in combat, and I’ll do so again in Congress. | ” |
Later in December 2021, Murphy announced that she would retire from the House rather than seek re-election.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brady Duke. GOP Young Guns. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Derby, Kevin (May 28, 2021). Brady Duke Enters the GOP Primary to Challenge Stephanie Murphy. Florida Daily. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bliss, Jacob (May 25, 2021). Republican Challenger Announces Run Against Vulnerable Democrat Stephanie Murphy. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ Caputo, Marc (May 24, 2021). Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy will not challenge Rubio for Senate. Politico. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ August 17, 2021. Murphy Statement on the Situation in Afghanistan. U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy. Archived version available here. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ November 11, 2021. Navy SEALs running for Congress slam Biden admin over Afghanistan ‘failure’: ‘Deeply un-American’. Yahoo News. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ Dougherty, Jon (November 14, 2021). Squad of Navy SEALs running for Congress blast Biden on Afghanistan, call for ‘mandate’ to ‘rescue our citizens’. BizPacReview. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ↑ Marcos, Christina (December 20, 2021). Key centrist Democrat Stephanie Murphy won't seek reelection. The Hill. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
External links
- Official Website
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- Twitter Page
