CD3 forum Part 10: Closing statements

Last in a series. Previously: Conflicts with the party and whether to move to a gold standard, Big government programs and impeaching Supreme Court justices, Income tax and unconstitutional executive orders or Supreme Court decisions, Getting rid of Constitutional amendments and how to improve the Republican Party, Federal spending and gun control, The Council on Foreign Relations and powers delegated to the House, Motivations for running and transparency in legislation, The greatest threat to the American way of life, mandatory vaccination, and enforcement of immigration laws, and Trump’s COVID response, minimum wage laws, legalizing marijuana

A candidate forum for Congressional District 3 was held in Newberry on July 18, with the following candidates present: Bill Engelbrecht, Joe Dallas Millado, Judson Sapp, Kat Cammack, Ryan Chamberlin, Amy Pope Wells, and Gavin Rollins.

A video is available here.

The forum was moderated by Tim Marden and Jennifer Cabrera.

Closing statements

Rollins: “So we’ve all been tricked in the past in elections. We voted for somebody that promised down the line, I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do this, and then they get to that office, they get weak-kneed, they become a nervous Republican. And they change their perspective, and they get pressured by special interests and those types of things. And it’s not that they completely turn-coat, it’s that they don’t do anything on the issues that matter the most. When it comes to the 2nd amendment, they’ll support one more regulation, just to make everyone feel better, and they won’t fight to repeal regulation. When it comes to life, they’re pro-life, but they never co-sponsor any bills on life, they never actually fight for those issues, they never actually do anything on those issues. They’ll come back and tell you in forums that that’s what they’re going to do, but they’re not actually fighting for it. And the concern I have on the stage is there’s a lot of people promising things, but where’s the record to prove that they’re going to actually do that? I have a proven track record. As a county commissioner, I’ve fought for life, I’ve fought for the 2nd amendment, making Clay County a 2nd amendment county, allowing our employees to concealed carry. Those were tough issues. I had rooms full of people angry at me, yelling and screaming, but I stood my ground because it was about principle, not about the moment or the emotion. I’ve stood strong and taught the Constitution, and in Congress I’ll follow it. I understand the Constitution because I’ve taught students the Constitution and the dynamics of it and that the Bill of Rights is to restrain government. Rights come from God, not government. And I’ve also literally fought for this country overseas in combat zones, so when it comes to those national security issues, I haven’t just talked the talk; I’ve walked the walk and seen horrific things and dealt with terrible things, but I’ve been willing to stand on the front lines and defend our nation’s freedom. And this, for me, is not a job; it is a deployment, a second deployment, to do battle on behalf of our community and our country, because America is worth fighting for.”

Wells: “I agree with Gavin. America is worth fighting for. Just so everybody knows, I’m going to be 50 years old by the time [of the election]. I don’t need this job… My husband tried to talk me out of this job. But here’s what I’ll tell you: I have a lifetime of experiences in some of our critical issues that are currently going on. I have been a mom, a wife, a grandmother, and I am fighting for a better tomorrow. I may not have been on a county commission seat, but I have to deal with jobs and pressures and issues, every single day. I’ve had to be bold… I’ve had to make tough decisions every day of my life because it affects people every day of their life. I make sure families are fed and things are happening. I hope to earn your vote because I don’t plan on staying there. I’m gonna go, do the work I need to do, and get out. Not be a career politician. I’ve never been a politician, and I don’t know why anybody aspires to be a politician.”

Chamberlin: “I’m running for a few reasons: I believe our faith is under attack. As a man of faith, someone that’s been involved in ministry for many years with my family, I absolutely believe that if we don’t elect the right people to get up there, we will not have a country in just a few years. They are absolutely trying to take it away. I’m running for my family. As I’ve mentioned, we have four children. We also have a little girl that we foster a majority of the time. They’re not gonna have the country that they could have or should have if someone doesn’t go up there, stand up, and fight. Like President Trump, I’m an independent businessman. I believe I’m the only viable candidate in this race that’s not a career politician or tied to Washington, D.C. We can’t stop the Establishment by electing the Establishment. Vote for Ryan Chamberlin.”

Cammack: “I am your Constitutional conservative in this race. One issue that didn’t get talked about tonight was something that’s pretty personal to me, and that is the attack on our law enforcement, our first responders, that’s happening right now. My husband is a firefighter and a SWAT medic. He’s done call-outs here, in this very town… and it’s very personal to me when he gets a call-out and he’s sitting on the roof of GPD because 2,000 Antifa members are trying to take GPD. When he’s being instructed that he can’t push back, fight back, defend himself, that’s a problem for me. This is happening in Gainesville. It’s happening everywhere across the country, and we’re not pushing back, we’re not protecting those that are protecting our communities every single day. And I’m sick and tired of people who have stood up and said that they’re gonna be strong and support our first responders, back down to the Socialist mobs. It’s disgusting, and we need people who have a backbone, who have the grit, that are going to go up there and fight for the conservative values that we espouse. I’ve had a very, very tough life, so I’m not shy when it comes to making tough decisions and going against the grain, and I think more than ever, we need people that are willing to do that in Washington, D.C.  There’s a lot of games that get played up there; I’ve been there, I know the potholes and the challenges that exist, and I’m asking for your support in this election.”

Sapp: “First of all, thank you to Springs County for having us here. We’ve got to make that happen. First of all, I take much pride in the fact that, like Ryan, that I’m not in government and never have been, so I’m very proud of that fact. That’s not to say that—we all serve in our own way, and I appreciate that, but you said all of us were, so… but look, we talk about walking the walk… I’ve worked for the president on Trump Victory Finance Committee. I’m actually out there raising money for the president while I’m also trying to run for Congress. I walk the walk; I’ve got his back; I know we all say we do, and I’m sure you do, but I’m actually out there doing that, too. I’m now a co-chair of Florida for that. When I see all this craziness and political correctness… I did not go to the University of Florida, but I’ll say one thing: Gator Bait! They’re not gonna get federal dollars if they’re telling you that you don’t have the freedom of speech. And I stood up for that. I’ve got, again, two little kids, an amazing wife, and I cannot tell you the heat that I took from the public for that. We got protested by Black Lives Matter, I don’t care. We need fighters right now. If I’m not willing to fight for them, then I’m not willing to fight for anybody. So I’ll go up there and I will fight hard, every day. I will have the back of the police department. I’m endorsed by [sheriffs and former sheriffs], and I told them I’m gonna go up there and we’re gonna have some legislation… that will affect police. I will always have the back of the police. They will have nothing to fear with me in Congress.”

Millado: “I want you guys to do something for me. If you were to close your eyes and you were to think about all the characteristics that you would want in your representative… you might be thinking of physical characteristics… I may not have that, but if I were to ask you one more time, close your eyes and think about the characteristics, not the physical characteristics, but the other ones. You want them to be honest, honorable, hard-working, never stop until the job is done. Open your eyes. I am that candidate. I may not look like the one that you were thinking of, but all the intangibles I do have. I spent over a decade in Washington, D.C., not to shake hands, not with the politics. The politics got us nowhere… I am different. While everybody else says they’re gonna do these things, I’ve already done it. Energy, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs, the multitude of issues, the multitude of bills that I’ve written, introduced, what does that mean? That means I spent thousands of hours, hundreds of thousands of hours, talking to veterans and families, and when they were crying… and said why can’t you do something about that, I said, I can’t. Right now, I have thoughts. But there will be a day… I’ll be back, I’ll run myself, and I’ll have an answer for you. 2020 is the year, on the dot. I started this mission in 2007 when I was an intern. I told everybody what I was gonna do, day one, every single day. Everybody laughed at me, day one. Everybody laughed at me and said that’s never going to happen. Here I am today, 2020, running for Congress, to be the first Filipino-American in the United States Congress. So what I’m telling everybody is, the jig is up for Congress up there, that Congress that does nothing, because that era is over, and a new era is gonna get ushered in, our era. MilladoForCongress.com. Rise with us.”

Engelbrecht: “I’m an everyday American. I’m not a politician. I’m a businessman. I’m a father and a husband. I have four grown children: my son is 26, my twin daughters are 23, and my younger son is 21. We have individuals up here who talk about family values, but they have young families at home. Why do you want to miss those glorious days? I stopped traveling when I had my business. I stopped, I sold that business and opened up another business because I wanted to be home with my children and give those family values. I started coaching; I’ve coached and mentored kids for the last 16 years at Orange Park Athletic Association and at St. John’s Country Day. I enjoy the people in our district. I have created jobs within our district, over a thousand jobs. I’ve been through almost every single roadway that’s through here… But what we need is a representative in Congress who has the experience, who has life experience, not just coming up and saying I can do this, I can do that, or I’ve been given this. I built my company from the ground up. I’ve been in business for 26 years, in the healthcare arena for 32 years. I have bought businesses. I have sold businesses. I have closed, but I also have opened. I’ve had to make those hard decisions, and they’re not always the best decisions in the world. Sometimes you have to make those decisions to make it right for everybody. As I said earlier, we had to make a pay cut so we could survive. My company has survived. Other companies in my industry had to close… I’d appreciate your vote. I’m an everyday American, and keep that in mind. I’m not a politician. I am you, and you are me, and I want to represent you.”