Republican takes up Trump's plea to challenge Laurel Lee; Hillsborough Democrat joins race

A first Republican has emerged to take on U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Brandon, following a social media post from former President Donald Trump urging a primary challenge to her.

And a prominent Democrat, Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, has also entered the race for U.S. House District 15.

Brian Perras of Port Richey filed on Sunday to run as a Republican, records from the Federal Election Commission show. Perras, 46, said he is responding to Trump’s call. The former president apparently targeted Lee because she was the only Florida Republican in Congress to endorse Gov. Ron DeSantis in the presidential race, though she stated her support for Trump after DeSantis suspended his campaign in late January.

“President Trump was calling on his MAGA Republicans to get in this race, and I am the biggest and probably the number one mega Republican there's been, in stepping up for our nation and our republic,” Perras said Tuesday.

Lee, a former Florida secretary of state, is in her first term.

District 15 includes northwest Polk County, including most of Lakeland west of South Florida Avenue and U.S. 98 North, and parts of Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Perras said he is a U.S. Navy veteran and is now retired while managing investment properties. He said he volunteers for an anti-human trafficking organization and operates a community farm.

Perras had previously filed to run for Pasco County supervisor of elections. He ran in the 2022 Republican primary for U.S. House District 12, challenging incumbent Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and finished fourth in the primary race with 3.8% of the vote.

Florida Supreme Court Abortion rulings produce mixed reactions from both sides in Polk County

He said he has tangled with leaders of the Pasco County Republican Party and was banned from attending Pasco County School Board meetings after protesting a requirement for student mask use during the COVID pandemic.

Perras’ campaign platform includes a call to bring military members home and have them guard the southern border.

Kemp, 66, is the second Democrat in the race, joining former Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald.

A Tampa resident of nearly 40 years, Kemp gained election to the Hillsborough County Commission in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. She is barred from seeking a third term.

Kemp has worked as a lawyer in private practice and for Bay Area Legal Services. She served as chief aide to U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, when Castor was a Hillsborough County commissioner, and as an aide to Florida Rep. Sara Romeo.

Kemp also spent more than a decade as a news director and radio talk show host at WUSF and WMNF in Tampa.

Kemp said she is concerned about the direction of the Republican-controlled U.S. House, and she criticized Lee as generally following the GOP party line. She also faulted the incumbent for voting against the expulsion of Rep. George Santos and pushing for the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of Homeland Security.

“This is a very winnable district,” Kemp said. “It's a moderate district. But I think it's very important that we have a Democratic voice. I think people are extremely frustrated with how dysfunctional Congress is now, and the incumbent has been there two years, and she's part of the problem, as I see it.”

Kemp stated her support for abortion rights, predicting that the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling that brings a six-week abortion into effect May 1 will motivate voters to turn out in November.

As of Wednesday, Lee’s campaign reported $438,000 in available cash. Fitzgerald had reported more than $17,000 in contributions and $733 in cash on hand. Kemp had not yet filed any campaign finance reports. An independent candidate, Alexander Peterson of Lakeland, does not meet the age requirement for the office.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Republican files to challenge Laurel Lee as 2nd Democrat enters race