Candidates for Congressional seat answer questions at public forum

The hall at the Atlantic Rec Center on Atlantic Avenue buzzed with activity on the evening of May 7. An alliance of Democratic groups and interested citizens gathered to hear the three candidates for the Congressional District 4 seat, currently held by incumbent Aaron Bean.

The three candidates who responded to prepared questions were LaShonda (L.J.) Holloway, Michael Kirwan and Brit Robinson. Ms. Holloway has qualified to run by petition. Mr. Kirwan has qualified to run, and Ms.Robinson is still gathering signed petitions to make her eligible for the primary ballot on August 18.

The forum was sponsored by the Democratic Club of Amelia Island in partnership with the Young Democrats, the Black Caucus, the party’s Democratic Executive Committee, the Westside Democratic Club, and Unified Nassau, which is affiliated with Indivisible. Lee Ann Catlin, from the club’s executive committee, moderated.

The well-structured format had all three candidates, in rotation, answer predetermined questions on issues that matter to voters. They each gave an opening statement, responded to questions, answered questions contributed in advance from the audience and gave closing statements.

The three candidates' backgrounds for the position differ widely. Ms. Holloway, who is legally trained, has previously run for the position, claims to know all parts of the district well and has had prior experience in Washington as a former congressional aide. Mr. Kirwan is currently retired and has been a 37-year member of the Florida Bar Association and has extensive experience in business and law. Ms. Robinson is a military spouse who is from the western part of the county for the last 8 years and who brings her experience of military families and working- class issues to the table. She is young, passionate and relatable and is informed on issues, despite her youth.

Each candidate has their own reasons for running for this position. Ms. Holloway said she has a “vested interest” in this district as a longtime resident of the county and part-time resident of the island. She wants to return the district to “… the people, not the powerful.” Mr. Kirwan is running to take back the House of Representatives and return the authority for government to Congress. He is tired of seeing the chaos in D.C. and says the people deserve peace in their lives and from their government. He thinks the current position holder is over his head on the powerful ways and means committee. He understands the tax code and stated that corporations get too many breaks. Ms. Robinson is concerned because she sees that a great percentage of the population does not think their interests are represented by current Congressional members. As a younger person, she feels she is better suited to anticipate change and to deal with issues such as the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). She is surrounding herself with experts in various fields in order to have the best information available to guide her.

Despite some sparks exchanged between Ms. Holloway and Mr. Kirwan, there are major areas in which all three candidates agree. Each of the candidates promised, if elected, to listen to the district's voters in person and to keep the district’s issues at the forefront and not pander to other political pressures. They all agreed that the SAVE Act was an attempt to get rid of birthright citizenship in order to disqualify segments of the population from voting. They agreed that each person deserved bodily autonomy and that the government should stay out of people’s doctors’ offices. They agreed that our fragile environment needs strong protection and that climate issues such as sea-level rise are real. They mentioned several strategies to fund protections here without raising taxes.

And with hands enthusiastically raised, they agreed to support whichever one of them becomes the candidate to face Mr. Bean in November.