Why I’m taking the fight to Florida’s 28th Congressional District

When I launched my campaign for the United States Senate, I did so because I believed Florida deserved a fighter in Washington—someone who understood the struggles of working families, the anxiety of a parent who can’t afford their child’s insulin, and the exhaustion of a small business owner drowning in a system rigged against them. That belief hasn’t changed. Not one word of it.

But real leadership means being honest with voters and ourselves.

The path to the Senate in Florida is not without its challenges. I spent months listening, organizing, and building something real. And through that process, it became clear that our work to restore accountability, compassion, and integrity in our nation’s capital requires boldness. I also came to believe that a long, contested Primary — dragging deep into the Summer — doesn’t serve the bigger goal of winning and delivering for Florida. This moment calls for focus, unity, and a clear path forward. That’s why I decided to run for Florida’s 28th Congressional District.

Florida’s 28th is winnable. Let me be direct about that, because I think voters deserve directness above all else. Early data shows a highly competitive race, with the generic ballot already within the margin of error—and a clear path to victory with the right coalition. This is not a retreat. This is a recalibration toward victory.

The Republican incumbent in this District has coasted on a combination of voter complacency and Democratic underinvestment. That ends now. This District is home to veterans who feel abandoned by empty promises, to teachers stretched beyond their limits in classrooms that look nothing like the Florida in the tourism commercials, and to seniors watching their fixed incomes evaporate under the weight of skyrocketing costs. These are not abstract policy problems. These are lives.

And the incumbent? He’s voted against affordable prescription drugs. He’s stood against investments in local infrastructure. He’s followed his party’s leadership off a cliff on issue after issue—while his constituents paid the price. The 28th deserves better, and I intend to give them better.

What I’m bringing from the Senate campaign is everything—the grassroots infrastructure, the coalition of first-generation voters, the union halls that opened their doors, and the faith communities that trusted us with their deepest concerns. We are not starting from zero. We are redirecting momentum that is already in motion.

I also want to say something about the Democratic Party’s strategy, because I’m not interested in sugarcoating it: we have ceded too much Florida ground for too long. We have looked at communities like those in the 28th and called them “reach” seats and “aspirational,” which really means we’ve left real people without a real fight on their behalf. I refuse to accept that calculus.

Flipping this seat isn’t just about one District. It’s about proving that Florida is not a foregone conclusion. Every door we knock, every conversation we have, and every vote we turn out sends a message that reaches well beyond this District’s lines.

I got into this race because I believe government can work for everyone—not just those who the same D.C. insiders back. The power of America’s middle class is what brought my family here from Venezuela, and it’s why I’m fighting to preserve that opportunity for my son—and all of our children …

El sueño Americano no ha desaparecido. Pero juntos debemos luchar por él.

Let’s get to work.

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Hector Mujica is a fifth-generation Floridian running for Florida’s CD 28.