Steve Rance makes his case for fixing a ‘broken’ Congress

Steve Rance is one of seven Republicans running to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto in the newly redrawn Florida’s 9th Congressional District, which is one of the top GOP pickup opportunities created by the new maps the Legislature approved earlier this year.

Soto was first elected to Congress in 2016 and most recently won re-election in 2024 with 55.1% of the vote. The Central Florida district had been concentrated in Osceola and Orange counties, but now covers a sprawling area stretching as far south as Lake Okeechobee.

Following redistricting, the Cook Political Report updated the seat’s rating from “Solid D” to “Likely R.” Other Republicans in the race include Thomas Chalifoux, the party’s nominee in 2024, plus Ben Butler, Marcus Carter, Dan Green, Jorge Martinez and Justin Story.

Florida Politics asked all Republican candidates to answer a few questions. We are publishing their responses unedited so voters can hear directly from candidates. Here’s what Rance told us:

— Profession: Retired United States Air Force Security Forces veteran, a pastor at First Baptist Church of Orlando, and a small business professional.

— Education: Community College of the Air Force graduate with advanced leadership and tactical security certifications earned during my military service.

— Years in the district: 12 years.

— Community involvement: As a Life Group pastor at First Baptist Church of Orlando, my life is rooted in service to local families, youth mentoring, and community outreach. I am an active member of local veteran support organizations, a fierce advocate for law enforcement, and regularly volunteer with faith-based initiatives assisting families facing financial hardship across Central Florida.

— Why are you running? What are your top priorities? I’m running because Washington is broken, and Central Florida deserves a constitutional conservative who puts duty and service over political self-interest. My worldview wasn’t formed in backroom political deals; it was forged in uniform serving in the Air Force Security Forces. My top priorities are securing our borders, restoring fiscal sanity to end the inflation crisis, and putting our own veterans, seniors, and working families first in every budget Washington writes.

— What are the biggest issues facing residents of this district? What’s one bill you’d like to introduce in Congress? The single biggest issue facing FL-09 families is affordability — soaring housing costs, inflated grocery bills, and overwhelming energy prices. On top of that, residents are tired of federal overreach and reckless spending. I have said it from day one: not one more dollar should go anywhere until our veterans and our own people are taken care of first. One bill I will introduce is the Restore Congressional Integrity Act, which would ban Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from trading individual stocks, paired with strict criminal penalties for violations. Public service is a trust, not a trading platform. Beyond banning congressional stock trading, I will introduce legislation to permanently defund and strip all federal funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) mandates within the United States Armed Forces. Our military exists to project lethal force and defend American sovereignty, not to serve as a laboratory for woke social engineering.

— Democrats blame Donald Trump for inflation, Republicans blame the lingering effects of the Joe Biden administration, while Americans just want their prices to go down. What can Congress do to ease the cost of living for working families? Inflation is the direct result of Washington printing trillions of dollars it doesn’t have. To lower prices, Congress must immediately stop the out-of-control federal deficit spending. We need to unleash American energy independence by slashing bureaucratic red tape on domestic oil, natural gas, and nuclear production—lowering fuel and transport costs instantly lowers the price of groceries and goods on Main Street. Finally, we must make the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent so families keep more of their hard-earned paychecks.

— Do you believe AI will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates, or should government slow its adoption to protect existing workers? What AI regulations or guardrails, if any, do you support? AI has incredible potential to drive economic productivity, but it presents real risks to workers, data privacy, and national security. The government should not attempt to micro-manage innovation or stall progress, but we must protect critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and individual civil liberties. I support strict guardrails against AI-driven government surveillance, deepfake fraud, and foreign adversaries — like China — using American AI technology for military expansion or cyber warfare.

— Americans frequently complain about the cost and complexity of our healthcare system. What realistic solutions do you propose? Top-down federal mandates and bureaucratic monopolies are what made healthcare expensive in the first place. The solution is free-market transparency and choice. We must mandate upfront, transparent pricing for hospital procedures and prescription drugs so patients can shop around. We should expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), allow health insurance to be purchased across state lines to boost competition, and protect the doctor-patient relationship from government middle-men.

— How should we counter China’s growing influence and power, and what can we do to ensure America retains its technological, military and economic advantages? China is our nation’s greatest geopolitical threat. To maintain our advantage, we must end our critical supply chain dependencies on Beijing — especially for pharmaceuticals, rare earth minerals, and advanced microchips. Militarily, we must modernize our armed forces, rebuild our defense industrial base, and maintain absolute technological dominance in cyber, space, and AI warfare. Economically, we must stop Chinese Communist Party entities from buying up American farmland and strategic real estate near military installations.

— With regard to ending the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, what should America’s goals and approach be? America’s approach must always be Peace through Strength. The Iranian regime is the leading state sponsor of terror. Our goal must be the total containment and permanent dismantling of their nuclear ambitions. I fully support maximum economic sanctions, severing their terror-funding pipelines, and standing unequivocally with our ally, Israel. And as a veteran, I will insist on what Washington too often skips: a clear mission, a full accounting of every dollar, and no blank checks for endless war.

In Ukraine, our goal should be a swift, negotiated settlement that stops the bloodshed and prevents a broader, endless war. European allies must step up and carry their fair share of regional defense burden, while American taxpayers demand absolute audit transparency for every dollar previously sent overseas.

— Would you vote to continue funding Israel’s defense? Are there any conditions you want to impose on that funding? Yes, I will proudly vote to fulfill and renew our 10-year Memorandum of Understanding to support Israel’s security. Israel is our strongest democratic ally in a hostile region, and their intelligence and military tech directly protect American lives. I strongly oppose attaching political conditions to security aid while Israel is actively fighting for its survival against terror proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

— The House recently voted to adopt year-round daylight saving time. How would you have voted? I would have proudly voted YES. Floridians overwhelmingly support “locking the clock” and ending the outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year. It boosts local business, encourages active lifestyles, and eliminates an unnecessary annual headache for families.

— Have congressional Republicans made good use of their majority these past 18 months and why does the GOP deserve to retain control of Congress? Is there anything on which you disagree with your party? House Republicans have passed crucial conservative victories — passing HR 2 to secure the border, exposing deep-state corruption, and cutting wasteful spending. However, Washington Republicans still compromise too easily with career politicians who refuse to make hard spending cuts. The GOP deserves to retain control because a Democrat-led House will mean unchecked government spending, open borders, and higher taxes. Where I disagree with some in my party is on careerism — I strongly believe in self-imposed term limits, which is why I’ve pledged to serve no more than three terms in the House.

— Why are you the best nominee to win this seat in November? FL-09 is a highly competitive conservative opportunity. To flip this seat and defeat Darren Soto, we cannot send a career, title-seeking politician who relies on standard establishment playbooks. As an Air Force veteran, pastor, and small business leader, I bring an authentic, outsider work ethic that connects directly with working families, veterans, and faith communities across Osceola, Orange, Polk, Highlands, Okeechobee, Indian River, and Glades counties. I am running to execute a mission for Florida families, not to build a career.