Republicans line up to challenge US Rep. Darren Soto in crowded Florida primary

ORLANDO, Fla. — Republican voters in Congressional District 9 have an important task in August: They likely are choosing who will represent their geographically large and demographically diverse district at the U.S. Capitol.

Though the district has favored Democrats for years, it now leans red, thanks to new boundary lines that were part of the state’s redistricting endeavor that could send four more Florida Republicans to Congress. The new district spans all or part of seven different counties, taking in suburban and heavily Hispanic areas of Osceola County, covering rural farmlands surrounding Lake Okeechobee and touching the Atlantic Ocean in Vero Beach.

Would-be candidates pounced on the opportunity. Seven Republicans, all men, have thrown their hats in the ring to challenge Congressman Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat who was first elected a decade ago and does not have a primary opponent. Four of the GOP candidates running for the seat filed their election paperwork after the state Legislature agreed on the new boundary lines.

While most candidates live in Central Florida, two live in outlying areas that were not previously part of the district. Two others live outside the district, which is allowed. The U.S. Constitution requires members of Congress to live in the states where their districts are located once they are elected, but not within their districts’ boundaries.

Who they are

The seven candidates will appear on the Aug. 18 Republican primary ballot.

Ben Butler is a dairy and cattle farmer from Lorida in Highlands County. He has served on the South Florida Water Management District governing board since 2019. He has the support of current Florida Congress members Kat Cammack and Greg Steube, as well as dozens of county-level elected officials from south-Central Florida.

Marcus Carter is an Army veteran who lives in Kissimmee, and worked as an investment advisor with Edward Jones before starting his own firm and starting a rideshare platform. He ran for for the seat as an independent in 2024, capturing 2.3% of the vote in the general election. He has been endorsed by the American Patriot Executive Committee, which describes itself as a grassroots organization that backs “America First” candidates.

Thomas Chalifoux Jr. is a retired Army colonel has owned several businesses, including general contracting companies, property management firms, restaurants and utilities. He was the Republican nominee in the District 9 race in 2024, losing to Soto but winning 42.6% of the vote in the general election. He previously served on the Osceola County School Board.

Chalifoux owns a home in Hunter’s Creek, a south Orange neighborhood that was in District 9 before Florida’s GOP leaders shuffled it into District 11. He said last month he’s planning to move to a home in District 9 that’s in Indian River County.

Dan Green was working in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and later joined the U.S. Navy. In 2019, he was appointed by Trump as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development at the U.S. Department of Defense. He now lives in Vero Beach and has the backing of several current Congress members from other states. Several Florida state and local officials also support his candidacy, including Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon.

Jorge Martinez is a certified public accountant who owns his firm and lives in Lake Nona. Martinez emigrated from Cuba as a child and attended high school in Orange County. He has been endorsed by Florida Family Action, an Orlando-based organization that describes itself as “committed to protecting and defending life, marriage, family and religious liberty.”

Steve Rance is a U.S. Air Force veteran and pastor at First Baptist Church of Orlando. His website describes him as “one of President Trump’s fiercest supporters.” Rance worked on Rep. Randy Fine’s campaign when the Republican from Brevard County ran for Congress in a special election last year and has been endorsed by Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina.

Rance lives in an Ocoee , which is part of Congressional District 10, currently represented by Democrat Maxwell Frost. He said during a recent interview he plans to move to District 9, if elected.

Justin Story is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, former F-18 fighter pilot and current commercial pilot who grew up in St. Cloud and lives there today. In a video posted to his website, Story says he “sprouted from humble agriculture roots,” and said he grew up helping his grandmother pick and sell oranges at a roadside fruit stand.

Fundraising

Chalifoux has the most money — by far — of any of the candidates. The wealthy businessman has kicked $2 million into his own campaign, bringing his fundraising total to $3.1 million. Most of it has not been spent, according to the most recent reports from the Federal Elections Commission.

Green is the only other Republican whose fundraising total has hit seven digits, thanks to a $1 million loan from the candidate to his own campaign. He has raised $1.1 million total.

Martinez’s campaign also is largely self-funded. He has raised $792,535, mostly through loans and contributions to himself.

The other four candidates have far less money in their coffers. Butler has raised $334,952, nearly all from other people and organizations. Rance has brought in $136,321, though he had just $8,454 left to spend at the end of June, when the last reporting period ended. Story has raised $92,059 and Carter has received $20,760 since entering the race.

Broad support for President Donald Trump

All of the Republican candidates have aligned themselves closely with President Donald Trump, though recent polls show his approval rating is below 40 percent and the president’s party often loses seats in Congress during midterm elections.

“At the end of the day, this president is president of the United States. He has a country to govern, and we have to stand united behind him so that we can keep the America First agenda moving forward,” Rance said.

Though he said he didn’t agree with all of Trump’s actions since taking office, he declined to elaborate on which ones he disliked.

Though Congress is charged with providing a check on the president’s power, most of the District 9 candidates refused to offer even a mild critique of the president’s performance during recent interviews with the Orlando Sentinel. Carter gave the most pointed criticism, taking issue with the cost of the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to decrease federal revenue and increase spending at a cost of $3.4 trillion over a decade.

“That wasn’t what Trump was, that wasn’t the mandate Trump was elected on in 2024,” Carter said.

Affordability

The candidates generally acknowledged that many Americans are feeling pinched by the cost of housing, groceries and gas. A few offered specific actions that could help make those necessities more affordable for Americans.

Butler said he would try to reduce regulations and increase domestic manufacturing.

Carter said he would support extra taxes for people from outside the country who purchase residences here and extending the types of loan benefits offered to veterans to other home buyers.

Chalifoux bemoaned a lack of workers skilled in the trades and the burden of government-imposed regulations on new housing, which he said was driving up the cost of housing.

Green also said he wanted to ease regulations, encourage free market competition and increase pricing transparency.

Martinez said he favored offering additional tax credits to first time home buyers and requiring additional transparency regarding the price of groceries.

Rance said he wanted to cut “wasteful spending” in D.C. and attract manufacturing jobs to the district.

And Story blamed government spending for inflation.

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