“Floridians in the 15th Congressional District are tired of politicians using their position to enrich themselves, yet that’s exactly why insurance executive Scott Franklin is running for Congress – to pursue policies like repealing the Affordable Care Act and corporate tax handouts paid for by defunding Social Security and Medicare,” said DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos. “A former investigative journalist who spent his career holding the corrupt accountable for their actions, Alan Cohn is exactly the right person to take on Franklin and flip this seat this November.”
—
To: Interested Parties
From: Sarah Guggenheimer, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 18, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Scott Franklin
Republican insurance executive Scott Franklin just ousted a sitting Republican member of Congress in a desperate attempt to chase fame and fortune. Yet Franklin’s self-possessed grab for power, money, and glory paves the way for Republicans to lose yet another open congressional seat thanks to the giant spotlight now shining on Franklin’s out of touch and extreme positions.
Franklin enters a general election where he’ll have to defend his extreme beliefs to an electorate that is tired of the same old corrupt, partisan agenda. Yet Franklin won’t be able to escape his support for repealing the Affordable Care Act, cutting Social Security, and passing the GOP tax scam, as he runs up against Alan Cohn’s agenda that aligns with Floridians.
Cohn has spent his career uncovering corruption and working to make a more fair and just world. And now he’s running against Scott Franklin, whose running for Congress to be a proud member of the Washington swamp.
In recent years, this district has shifted rapidly towards Democrats. Democrats won only 35% of the vote in 2012 but won 47% in 2018. Up against a low name-ID candidate in a newly open seat, Cohn is well positioned in this race.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Franklin will also face the problem of building name recognition and raising money while the coronavirus pandemic dampens political activity.” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/25/20]
“’I find it unsettling that Scott Franklin would choose to launch a campaign on the same day the City of Lakeland declares an emergency,’” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/17/20]
“Franklin said he believes there will be a drop in [COVID-19] numbers, just based on people social distancing. However, last week, Mayor William Mutz and other commissioners said there were many residents not following social distancing guidelines.” [Fox13, 7/2/20]
“In the race for Florida’s 15th Congressional District, which covers parts of Lakeland and east Hillsborough County, Democratic candidate Alan Cohn dominated in 2nd quarter fundraising.” [Florida Politics, 7/16/20]
Scott Franklin: Out of Touch With His District
FLORIDIAN’S CAN’T AFFORD FRANKLIN’S HEALTH CARE POLICY
Many unemployed Republican politicians learned a valuable lesson in 2018 after running on repealing the Affordable Care Act: voters have no interest in Republican efforts to gut coverage for pre-existing conditions and impose an Age tax on Americans over 50.
But even as Floridians continue to struggle through a global pandemic that has hit their state particularly hard, Franklin wants to cut their coverage by permanently repealing the Affordable Care Act, a move that would take insurance away from 1,750,000 Floridians. Franklin would also put more than 500,000 additional Floridians who have contracted COVID-19 at risk of losing their care, since his plan would let insurance companies treat a past case of coronavirus as a declinable pre-existing condition.
Why does Franklin want to deny health care to millions of Floridians? Perhaps Franklin is willing to sell out Floridians because he was the highly-paid CEO of an insurance company that paid Franklin a $633,000 salary last year.
With health care at the top of voters’ minds, Franklin’s extreme and corrupt position will cost him this election.
In Congress, Alan Cohn will work to protect coverage for pre-existing conditions improve access to care, and lower costs. He’ll fight against policies like Franklin’s that institute lifetime coverage caps and Age Taxes because Cohn understands what’s at stake. Floridians are looking for this kind of leadership – not more politicians looking to line their own pockets.
SCOTT FRANKLIN WANTS TO CUT TAXES FOR CORPORATIONS, NOT THE MIDDLE CLASS…
Scott Franklin is a big supporter of giving money to Floridians… as long as they’re millionaires like him. Franklin has proudly endorsed the GOP tax scam that shelled out trillions in tax cuts for big corporations and the super wealthy – all while raising taxes on the middle class
But when it comes to issues like unemployment insurance during the global pandemic and Floridians who need economic relief, Franklin has refused to support these commonsense measures. In fact, he has called giving families relief they need to survive this economic crisis a “waste of money.”
Floridians deserve better than someone who’s only looking out for themselves instead of the people they’re supposed to represent. Alan Cohn is fighting for all Floridians and in Congress, will make sure that tax cuts go to hardworking families, not the uber rich.
AND PAY FOR IT WITH YOUR MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY
The fallout from the GOP Tax bill has carved out an opening for Washington Republicans to cut Medicare and Social Security, and Scott Franklin is eager to get to work.
With Trump already threatening to permanently defund these programs, Franklin’s call to “restructure some of these long term promises” stands out. Franklin’s ideas for reform would radically alter Social Security, putting current retirees’ benefits at risk and abandoning any guarantees that seniors will have any Social Security income at.
Franklin’s open contempt for seniors that rely on Social Security – including 120,000 in the 15th District and 3.7 million statewide – is truly shocking. In Franklin’s own words: Social Security “was never meant for people to retire and live another 30 years or so just off the government dole.”
Franklin may find it difficult to win in this older district given that he’s suggested that our seniors are drains on the system they paid into for their entire lives.
PATH TO VICTORY
Scott Franklin is a hyper-partisan insurance executive who is heading into a general election electorate that is tired of politicians who use their office for personal gain.
Cohn, meanwhile, has spent his life holding the corrupt accountable. And in the general election he’ll do exactly that with corrupt insurance exec Scott Franklin.
This district has trended blue at the congressional level and is primed to flip in 2020. Franklin’s corporate-interest agenda and disparaging remarks about the older Americans who will decide this election lie in sharp contrast to Cohn’s commonsense agenda, record of rooting out corruption, and deep ties to the district.
###