To: Interested Parties
From: Jermaine House, South Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 30, 2016
Re: Memo: The Case Against Brian Mast
Tonight’s primary marks the beginning of the general election between Randy Perkins and Brian Mast. Randy Perkins’ independent record and impressive background building a successful business will resonate with voters in Florida’s 18th Congressional District, who are looking for steady leadership that will help ensure they have a fair shot at opportunity and economic security, and that partisanship never stands in the way of keeping them safe from threats abroad or health crises at home.
Meanwhile Brian Mast is a throwback to the Tea Party reckless leadership in Washington. In a district that President Obama won in 2008 and where Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy won by 20 points in the difficult year of 2014, voters will recognize that Brian Mast is extreme and out of touch with their interests.
Brian Mast: We’ve Seen this Movie Before
Brian Mast has been clear with voters about the type of leadership he wants to bring to Washington, and it is much of the same obstruction that has come to define the current Republican Party. Earlier this year, he linked himself to Congressman Allen West, whom voters of this district recently rejected, saying he wanted to pick up and carry his banner in Congress.
As in the case with Allen West and Carl Domino, Treasure Coast voters will reject Brian Mast’s out of touch agenda. Already, Mast has signed a pledge to protect tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas. He also supports a flat tax which would shift the tax burden from the wealthy to middle class families, and wants to defund Planned Parenthood.
In a district where over 20 percent of the population is made up of diverse voters, Mast has embraced Donald Trump and even compared Trump to an exterminator, saying “if you have an infestation of rats and rodents in your home and you need to call the exterminator, you don’t necessarily care about the personality of the exterminator. You just care that he gets rid of infestation.”
Florida’s 18th District
In recent years, Democrats have performed well in this largely suburban district, which has higher than average income and college education than the state of Florida as a whole. President Obama won this district in 2008 with 52% of the vote. In a very difficult year for national Democrats, this district reelected Congressman Patrick Murphy by nearly 20 points.
Murphy is highly popular in this district and will be on the ballot again in 2016. Murphy’s senate campaign will provide important structural support and help drive turnout among key demographic groups, as well as the moderate- to high- income voters who delivered Murphy his double digit win two years ago.
In presidential year, increased turnout among key Democratic-leaning communities like and African American and Latino voters – 11 and 9 percent of the voting age population respectively – will advantage Democrats.
Randy Perkins’ Story
Randy Perkins has already shown why he is a top tier candidate and prepared to keep Florida’s 18th in Democrats’ column. His all-American success story, appealing independent record, respected record of job-creation, and ability to fund his campaign all combine to be a threatening force to reckon with.
In the inexpensive West Palm Beach media market, Perkins will have the resources to communicate his incredible rags to riches story.
Unlike his Republican opponent, Perkins’ campaign will make the case that with hard work and dedication, every American should have the chance to pursue the American dream as he did.