Neal Patrick Dunn (born February 16, 1953) is an American surgeon and Republican Party politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district since 2017.
Neal Dunn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Gwen Graham (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 16, 1953 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Leah Dunn (m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Washington and Lee University (BS) George Washington University (MD) |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Rank | Major |
Early life and career
Dunn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1953.[1][2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary sciences from Washington and Lee University and a Doctor of Medicine from the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He completed his medical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dunn served in the United States Army for 11 years of active duty, reaching the rank of major.[3] He then settled in Panama City, Florida, where he helped found the Panama City Urological Center, the Panama City Surgery Center, and was the founding chairman of Summit Bank.[4]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2016
In August 2015, Dunn announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 2nd congressional district in the 2016 elections. The district's one-term incumbent, Democrat Gwen Graham, opted to retire after court-ordered redistricting made the district heavily Republican.[4][5][6] He won the Republican nomination, narrowly defeating attorneys Mary Thomas and Ken Sukhia,[7] and defeated Walter Dartland in the general election.[8] He was sworn in on January 3, 2017.[9]
2018
In 2018, Dunn won reelection against challenger Bob Rackleff, 67.4% to 32.6%.[10]
2020
Constituents voiced frustration with Dunn for his refusal to host town halls.[11] Dunn held multiple virtual town hall meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.[12]
Dunn was reelected in 2020 with 97.9% of the vote in 2020. He had no primary election or official general election opponents.[13]
2022
In 2022, Dunn defeated U.S. Representative Al Lawson with 59.8% of the vote. The boundaries of the district had been redrawn as determined by the 2020 Florida redistricting cycle.
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[14]
Caucus memberships
- House Border Security Caucus
- Conservative Climate Caucus
- Wildfire Caucus
- Congressional French Caucus
- House Army Caucus
- Friends of Belgium Caucus
- Bulgaria Caucus
- Congressional Wine Caucus
- Healthcare Innovation Caucus[15]
- Republican Study Committee[16]
Political positions
Dunn's campaign website identifies him as conservative.
Gun policy
Dunn received an "AQ" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) during his 2016 run for office—the highest rating possible for a non-incumbent.[17] In 2020 and 2022 he was endorsed and graded "A".[18][19] He does not support a ban of semi-automatic weapons.[20] From 2015 to 2016, Dunn accepted $1,000 from the NRA-PVF.[21]
Net neutrality
Along with 107 Republican members of Congress, Dunn sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai a letter on December 13, 2017, supporting his plan to repeal net neutrality protections ahead of the commission's vote.[22] Dunn accepted $18,500 from the telecom industry before voting to repeal the rule.[23]
Tax reform
Dunn voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,[24] calling the bill "good medicine for America".[25] He believes it will benefit many generations of Americans with a "great economy in which there will be jobs, there will be opportunity, there's possibilities for literally a whole new generation or two of Americans". Dunn says he has received support from "mostly small businessmen" in his district for supporting the bill.[26]
Education
Dunn wants to defund the Department of Education.[27]
Healthcare
Dunn supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says is "failing", saying "no one can afford" the premiums and deductibles.[28]
2020 presidential election certification
In December 2020, Dunn was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[29] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[30][31][32]
After the 2021 storming of the Capitol, Dunn condemned the rioters, but still voted to object to the certification of several states' electoral votes.[33][34]
Israel
Dunn voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[35][36]
Veterans
The PACT ACT which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service, received a "nay" from Dunn.[37] Regarding cannabis, despite lobbying from VSOs such as the DAV[38] Dunn also voted against 2022 MORE Act.[39][40]
Personal life
Dunn and his wife, Leah, have three sons and three grandsons.[6] On April 9, 2020, Dunn's office announced that he tested positive for COVID-19.[41]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn | 33,886 | 41.4 | |
| Republican | Mary Thomas | 32,178 | 39.3 | |
| Republican | Ken Sukhia | 15,826 | 19.3 | |
| Total votes | 81,890 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn | 231,163 | 67.3 | |
| Democratic | Walter Dartland | 102,801 | 29.9 | |
| Libertarian | Rob Lapham | 9,395 | 2.7 | |
| Write-in votes | Antoine Edward Roberts | 3 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 343,362 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 199,335 | 67.4 | |
| Democratic | Bob Rackleff | 96,233 | 32.6 | |
| Total votes | 295,568 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 305,337 | 97.9 | |
| Write-in votes | Kim O'Connor | 6,662 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 311,999 | 100.0 | ||
See also
References
External links
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