The Battle For Florida's Treasure Coast— Thomas Witkop Takes On Genocidal Maniac Brian Mast

Not that many members of Congress are as transparently pro-genocide as Florida’s Brian Mast, the bloodthirsty Republican who followed Blue Dog Patrick Murphy as the Congressman from the Treasure Coast (FL-21— Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens. The district has a PVI of R+7 and Trump won it by just over 9 points. Mast crushed the last Democratic opponent he faced, Corinna Robinson. A suck-up for special interests, Mast was able to spend over $5 million to her $80,000.

Mast was first elected by tricking the voters into thinking he was a mainstream conservative. He gradually moved away from GOP moderates until he was deep into MAGA territory. Just recently, one of Florida’s most important environmental groups, Vote Water, which had been supporting him, decided he’s been giving them a song and dance and never keeping to his promises when it came time to vote. And now they have a much better option. Thomas Witkop is a 25 year old from Palm Beach Gardens who is running one of the most volunteer-oriented campaigns I’ve ever seen. 

Witkop is running on 3 overarching issues: women’s rights, democracy and waterways. “American workers,” he told me, “should be the primary beneficiaries of economic growth… I will vote for higher wages, affordable housing & fully funding Social Security & Medicare.” He’s a Jamie Raskin kind of Democrat— and, in fact, Raskin, along with Alan Grayson, is giving him advice and helping him raise money. Grayson, reflecting on Witkop’s campaign said. “What do you do if you wake up one morning and you realize that you disagree with your congressman about almost everything? You run for Congress! That’s what Thomas Witkop is doing— and he’s doing it with principle and tenacity.”

And Mast has more than just Witkop’s volunteers, principles and tenacity to worry about. Another Republican, virulent antisemite, violent right-wing conspiracy theorist, and End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles is primarying him and eating into his MAGA base, pushing Mast even further right. I asked Witkop to introduce himself to DWT readers with a couple of paragraphs about one of those issues that has so impressed Grayson. Take a look— and if it appeals and you would like to see him replace Mast in Congress, consider contributing to his campaign here.

The Tide of Tyranny: What Anne Frank Can Teach Us in 2024

-by Thomas Witkop

Amid the recent slew of Florida book bannings, one stands out to me. It’s just a diary written by a thirteen year old girl. It’s just one book in one state. But the book is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, and those who downplay the significance of banning this book would be wise to read it. We look back to the holocaust and assume authoritarianism comes upon us like a crashing wave, but such waves begin far out at sea. Unseen currents roil the depths and ripple the surface. Tides shift silently. The wave only appears right before it breaks.

Anne Frank reminds us how a sophisticated Western nation can fall victim to the subtle creep of authoritarianism. Book bannings sanitize history, inhibit free speech and free thought, and deprive our children of crucial lessons from history. Suppressing any form of expression is a tool used to project a calm surface that conceals tyranny beneath. Hence, it’s no coincidence that Florida bans books while assaulting women’s reproductive rights and suppressing voters.  It’s no coincidence this occurs after three quarters of Florida congressmen voted to overturn the 2020 election.

By a miracle, hope remains in Florida— In the midst of a draconian abortion ban, Florida’s supreme court has put a woman’s right to choose on Florida’s ballot in November. This will mobilize our voters like never before. Mere months ago Florida was considered solid red, yet Biden’s campaign has now declared it winnable. Winning Florida begins with flipping districts like my own, and flipping enough such districts will turn the tide. This can be done, but we can’t do it alone. In the year that Florida has gone from red to purple, we need support from our friends in blue states. We are far beyond petty party politics. This is about freedom versus authoritarianism. Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans must unite before it’s too late.

A wave is poised to break on November 5th. If you don’t believe that, do what Florida wants to ban: Read Anne Frank’s diary.