Spotlight on the FL 25th Congressional District

Republican Winner, David Rivera
Florida's 25th Congressional District sits in the southern area of the state and includes western Miami-Dade County and the Everglades. The district favored Bush by 10 points in 2000 and 12 in 2004. McCain eked out a 1 point win over Obama in 2008, but that narrow win is not viewed as a trend that will continue. Republican Mario Diaz-Balart, now in his fourth term as representative, is vacating this seat to compete in the more Republican-friendly Florida 21st District (left open by the retirement of Mario’s brother, Lincoln). Mario Diaz-Balart chaired the state redistricting committee which created the new FL-25 in 2002, so he more or less oversaw the design of the district with the idea of personally occupying the seat. Democrats drafted Joe Garcia, former Miami-Dade County Democratic Party Chairman and Diaz-Balart’s 2008 challenger, to fill their side of the ticket. Republicans held high hopes for State Rep. David Rivera and Rivera did not disappoint, winning by a 52% to 42% margin. Rivera showed himself to be a prolific fundraiser and was recognized by the NRCC “Young Guns” program.
David Rivera
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Honors, Florida International University, 1986
  • Master of Public Administration, Florida International University, 1994
  • Executive Director, Republican Party of Miami-Dade County
  • Republican State Committeeman for Miami-Dade County
  • Chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County
  • Special Assistant to the Director of the United States Information Agency’s Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) since 1991
  • Public Affairs Director for the Washington-based Valladares Foundation
  • Legislative assistant to United States Senator Connie Mack, Republican from Florida
  • South Florida Political Director for Jack Kemp’s 1988 presidential campaign
  • State Representative - 112th District - Florida House of Representatives, 2003-present (Chairman of the House Full Appropriations Committee)
  • Member, American Society for Public Administration, present
  • National Committeeman, Republican National Hispanic Assembly

ISSUES

  • Second Amendment - Representative Rivera supports and protects the right to bear arms. He has received ‘A’ ratings from the from the National Rifle Association and in this past legislative session he was instrumental in passing a bill that protected the concealed weapons and firearms licensing trust fund from being raided, which would have amounted to a tax on the Second Amendment. Courts have ruled that states may not tax the exercise of rights protected by the federal constitution

     
  • Israel - Representative Rivera believes that Israel stands as a beacon of freedom in a region where freedom is especially stifled. Because of this he values the unique relationship that the United States and Israel have shared. David believes in providing foreign aid to Israel and will support calls to our Arab allies to work towards normalizing relations with Israel.

     
  • Iran - Representative Rivera believes in putting pressure on Iran to end its uranium enrichment and weaponry programs. He will support legislation and actions that condemn Iran if they continue to build up a nuclear and military threat against Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East and Europe.

     
  • Health Care - Representative Rivera has signed the Club for Growth’s pledge to repeal the Obama administration’s health care bill. He believes that the Democrats’ healthcare plan breaks President Obama’s pledge to not raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 per year, by imposing an individual mandate tax on Americans and a mandate tax on employers who don’t purchase health insurance for their employees. David believes we need responsible healthcare reform that lowers costs and offers greater access to affordable health care.

     
  • Cap & Trade- Representative Rivera opposes energy tax legislation and will work to repeal the Cap and Trade legislation that was passed by the Democratic Congress. At a time when our economy is struggling, a cap-and-trade scheme would further strain family budgets and destroy jobs.  He supports conservation efforts that incentivize, not penalize, energy efficiency by businesses and individuals, and he will support promoting renewable energy sources as well as exploring American energy sources.

     
  • Immigration - Representative Rivera believes that stopping illegal immigration starts by controlling our borders and strengthening existing penalties for people entering the country illegally.  There are also many businesses that subsist on the work of illegal immigrants and Rep. Rivera believes that the federal government must enact harsh penalties against employers that hire illegal immigrants. 

     
  • Spending - Representative Rivera is deeply troubled by a federal government that continues to spend money that it doesn’t have.  In Congress, I would support measures to help curb this spending such as a balanced budget amendment and line-item vetoes, which will help us control the wasteful and excessive spending in Washington that could cripple future generations of Americans.

     
  • Taxes - Representative Rivera believes in tax reform that is fairer to the taxpayer though an easier to understand and simplified tax code.  Outside of that, I will support efforts to reduce the extraordinary tax burden on American taxpayers, specifically our workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses.  I would work to eliminate the Death Tax, taxes on capital gains, dividends and interest, which would encourage further savings and investments. 

     
  • Energy - Representative Rivera supports a comprehensive energy plan that encourages nuclear energy, exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and environmentally safe leasing of oil and natural gas fields in the outer continental shelf and on federally owned lands with oil shale in the West.   In Congress, Rep. Rivera will stand for policies that make us more energy efficient, less reliant on foreign sources of oil, create jobs and ease the burden on family budgets.

     
  • Sanctity of Life - Representative Rivera is pro-life.  As a state legislator, I supported various pieces of pro-life legislation including a bill that would require doctors to perform ultrasounds before performing abortions and another bill that would ban the use of taxpayer funds to fund stem cell research. 

     
  • Card Check - Representative Rivera opposes card check, which would eliminate workers’ right to a secret ballot in unionization elections.  Efforts like the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would tip labor law in favor of unions.  I believe in protecting workers’ rights and a card check system would open the door to union pressure and intimidation that would threaten the livelihoods of businesses and disrupt the workplace.
“These are no ordinary times. Our community, our state and our nation face challenges not seen in a generation, but which will be felt for generations to come if we don’t get moving now. --------- That means focusing on jobs and economic security for our families, world-class education for our children, a strong national defense, a foreign policy that is both strong and compassionate, and government that does less taking and more giving. --------- My campaign for Congress is dedicated to these very principles...and, most importantly, to you.”
One of Them
The Spotlight On reports are overviews of actual Republican primary winners or top Republican primary contenders. Spotlights should not be interpreted as recommendations to support specific candidates. Before supporting any candidate, do thorough research to confirm that the candidate shares your views on issues you deem most important.