Swearingen: Lee Will Advocate for Men & Women of Law Enforcement in Congress
Tampa, Fla. – Republican candidate for Florida Congressional District 15 Laurel Lee today announced that former Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Rick Swearingen, who served FDLE for 38 years, has endorsed Lee as the best CD15 candidate for law enforcement.
“Laurel and I worked shoulder to shoulder defending Florida’s elections,” said former Commissioner Swearingen. “I have total confidence in her dedication to our state, and I know she will be the best candidate to advocate for the men and women of law enforcement in Congress.”
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Commissioner Swearingen,” said Lee, who served as Florida’s Chief Elections Official for Governor Ron DeSantis. “Together, with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we worked tirelessly to ensure that our elections and our voters were protected from all foreign and domestic threats. I value the men and women who serve and protect us, and in Congress, I will always back the blue.”
Lee has over 50 armed service veterans who have lent their names in support of her campaign for Congress, and she has received the endorsements of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Green Beret Jay Collins, and numerous local elected officials, including Plant City leaders.
The newly drawn Congressional District 15 encompasses eastern Hillsborough County, along with parts of Pasco and Polk Counties.
Laurel was appointed by Governor DeSantis as Florida’s 36th Secretary of State in January 2019 and served in this position until May 2022. During her tenure as Secretary of State, she worked to strengthen Florida’s elections infrastructure and cybersecurity defenses, increased voter registration and participation, and ensured accurate and secure elections in Florida. Following Florida’s successful 2020 election, Laurel was recognized as a national leader on election policy and security. She was a member of the Election Integrity Commission for the Republican State Leadership Committee. She also served on the Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, the executive committee and as policy chair for the Republican Secretaries of State Committee, and on the executive board and co-chair of the Elections Committee for the National Association of Secretaries of State, where she spotlighted the success of Florida on the national stage. Prior to serving in the DeSantis administration, Laurel served as a Circuit Court Judge in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Before becoming a judge, Laurel served as a federal prosecutor for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida. Raised by a two-star general in the United States Air Force and a public school teacher, Laurel has family ties in eastern Hillsborough County that go back more than 70 years.
For more information on the Laurel Lee for Congress campaign, visit votelaurel.com and follow @VoteLaurel on Facebook and @Vote_Laurel on Twitter.
# # #
| Paid for by Laurel Lee for Congress |