Ola Hawatmeh’s CD 19 campaign notches endorsement from ‘MAGA Meg’ Weinberger

Small-business owner Ola Hawatmeh’s bid to succeed fellow Republican Byron Donalds in Florida’s 19th Congressional District is getting a boost from one of South Florida’s most prominent Donald Trump-aligned state lawmakers.

Palm Beach Gardens state Rep. Meg Weinberger, dubbed “MAGA Meg” for the support she has given, and received from, Trump and his supporters, just threw her political influence behind Hawatmeh’s CD 19 campaign.

She believes Hawatmeh, a health and wellness entrepreneur, is most likely to win in November and keep the U.S. House in GOP hands post-Midterms.

“With Republicans needing to keep their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Weinberger said in a statement, “we need more loyal America First Republicans like Ola to help President Donald Trump continue defending our God-given American freedoms and liberties.”

Hawatmeh, whose X page heavily features posts supporting Trump and Weinberger, also carries an endorsement from economist and Trump policy adviser Stephen Moore.

Hawatmeh said in a statement that she is “honored” to have Weinberger’s endorsement.

“Meg understands how important it is to help President Donald J. Trump retain the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives with true America First candidates,” she said.

Hawatmeh is running in a crowded Republican Primary to replace Donalds, the GOP front-runner in Florida’s gubernatorial race. Others competing for the party nomination include former U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Stephen Elliott, Johnny Fratto, Dylan Modarelli, former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweiss, Mike Petersen and Jim Schwartzel.

Democrat Howard Sapp, a longtime community leader in Fort Myers, has been running unopposed for his party’s nomination since February 2025.

CD 19 covers a swath of Southwest Florida spanning large parts of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties. Cities in the district include Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Marco Island, Naples and Sanibel.

The district leans heavily Republican, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+14.