…is Allen West, who is running to represent the 22nd District of Florida.
We found this video of West from back in January when he was on Fox News’ RedEye with Greg Gutfeld. West, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, has made a name for himself as an electrifying speaker and a dynamic candidate giving the GOP an excellent chance to retake FL-22 this fall…
West has a legitimate chance of winning against incumbent Ron Klein, who was swept in with the 2006 Democrat surge. Prior to Klein’s election, the district was held for six terms by Republican E. Clay Shaw, Jr. FL-22, which was the center of the 2000 Florida recount in the chaotic presidential election that year, has polled narrowly for Democrats in the last three presidential elections. Al Gore captured the district over George W. Bush by a 51-46 count, John Kerry beat Bush 51-49 in 2004 and Barack Obama beat John McCain 51-49 in 2008.
Klein beat West by a 55-45 count in 2008, but as a first-time candidate he raised less than half a million dollars and was badly outspent. West’s fundraising efforts this time have been greatly improved; after raising $677,586 in the last quarter of 2009 and gaining national attention, he raised $838,449 during the first quarter of 2010.
West has raised more than $2 million overall for his challenge of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. West’s campaign, which has spent heavily on a direct-mail effort, has more than $1.1 million cash on hand, putting him at a continued disadvantage to Klein – who has $2.65 million on hand. But as Klein raised only about $450,000 in the first quarter, West’s financial disadvantage could be shrinking.
Klein has refused to debate West so far.
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