Congressional District 19 Candidates Donalds, Lerner

Published: 11:00 am. ET September 3, 2024
Updated: 7:48 am. ET September 4, 2024 / By
U.S. House District 19 Donalds vs Lerner

Incumbent Republican Byron Donalds is challenged by Democrat Kari Lerner to represent Florida’s Congressional District 19 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Forty-four percent of Collier County’s voting-age population live in Congressional District 19. Find your district here.

In This Post

Below, you will find the following information to help you learn more about the candidates:

  • Bios and key issues
  • Websites and social media
  • Endorsements
  • In the news
  • Campaign finances

Byron Donalds (Republican)

Byron Donalds, 45, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is one of three children raised by his single mother.

Donalds attended Florida A&M University and earned a B.S. in finance and marketing from Florida State University in 2002.

Byron Donalds
Donalds

He moved to Collier County in 2003 and worked in the finance, insurance, and banking industries.

Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, Donalds served four years before being elected to Congress in 2020. He was unopposed for reelection to a second term in 2022.

In Congress, he serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Financial Services Committee.

Key Issues

Donalds outlines his positions on eight issues on his website. Among them are:

  • Federal Spending — Supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to require the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a balanced budget annually.
  • Healthcare — “Obamacare is a thinly veiled attempt at a government takeover of the health insurance delivery system, ultimately leading to a single-payer socialist system. In order to lower costs in the healthcare market, we must provide healthcare tax benefits and incentives to individuals, all while removing the current tax treatments from businesses.” Supports opening up the purchase of health insurance across state lines, “allowing the free market to thrive and work as intended.”
  • Taxes — Co-sponsored the Fair Tax Act, which would impose a national sales tax instead of the current income taxes, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes. “In route to the long-term vision of the Fair Tax, reducing all tax rates and eliminating loopholes are short-term solutions that will greatly reform our current tax structure.”
  • Immigration — Supports a southern border wall and reform of the entry/exit visa system to eliminate visa overstays.
  • 2nd Amendment — “Shall not be infringed, means Shall not be infringed!” Donald is endorsed by the NRA.
  • Pro-Life — Will “fight to protect the life of every unborn child without exception.”

In the News

January 2021

One of Donalds’ first votes in Congress was to object to the certification of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election. He released a statement through social media that he “cannot in good faith vote to support the certification of the Electoral College results on Jan. 6.” (The News-Press, 1/1/21; NYTimes, 1/7/21)

While denouncing the violence of January 6th, Donalds said the January 6th Committee’s work is a political witch-hunt. (FOX News, 6/9/22)

Endorsements

Donalds is endorsed by the NRA, Americans for Prosperity, Tea Party Express, Republican Liberty Caucus, House Freedom Fund, Florida Family Action, Republican Hispanic Assembly Florida, Sen. Rand Paul, FreedomWorks, The Club for Growth, Gun Owners of America, and Empower America. (Website)

He is also one of AIPAC’s Pro-Israel “featured candidates.”

Websites and Social Media

Other Resources

Kari Lerner (Democrat)

Kari Lerner, 64, was born in Ohio, raised in Cape Coral, and attended high school in Fort Myers. She earned an AS in business administration from Edison Community College while working three jobs as a single mother and a BS in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She served one term (2017/2018) in the New Hampshire State Legislature.

Kari Lerner CD 19
Lerner

Lerner has had a 37-year career as a Realtor, most recently, since 2019, with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty and, since 2015, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Verani Realty.

She is on leave from her role as Chair of the Democrat Party of Lee County, a position she has held since 2021, to run for this position.

Key Issues

Lerner outlines her positions on seven issues on her website. Among them are:

  • Healthcare Access – Says no government can be allowed to dictate to any person what choices they can make about their own bodies. Will fight for a national right to abortion.
  • Social Security – Pledges to make Social Security a top priority and to defend and strengthen the program.
  • Immigration – Will work to secure the southern board by providing necessary resources. Lists five specific resources she will work to provide.
  • SWFL’s environmental crisis – Will fight for federal grant money to help clean up SWFL’s waters. Supports the Right to Clean Water initiative to get an amendment to the Florida Constitution declaring clean water a basic right onto the 2026 ballot.
  • LGBTQ+ Issues – “All are created equal, entitled to equal protection and benefits under the law. The pursuit of happiness enshrined in our Bill of Rights begins with the right to love whomever you choose, openly, and without fear of government retaliation.”

In the News

Endorsements

Websites and Social Media

Other Resources

Campaign Finance

Here is a summary of the candidates’ filings to date:

fec.gov/data

Next Steps

It’s time to review the available information and decide which candidate to vote for. I hope this research has been helpful. Thanks for wanting to be a more informed voter!

LIKE THIS POST?

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE!

Start typing and press enter to search

Scroll to Top