Vern Buchanan already facing 2022 re-election challengers from the left and the right
Fresh off of a big win last November, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is already set to face two challengers on both sides of the political spectrum in his 2022 re-election campaign.
Martin Hyde, a former candidate for the Sarasota City Commission, announced that he intends to challenge Buchanan in the Republican primary. In a series of Facebook posts, Hyde labeled Buchanan a “Republican In Name Only” and vowed to represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District with a more conservative approach.
“Settle up Vern, as you’ve had a good run but it’s coming to an end August 23rd next year,” Hyde wrote. “I’m doing this because it’s the RIGHT thing to do for all RIGHT thinking conservatives. The Constitution was written by way smarter people than Vern and I’m not going to sit quietly by while he’s paid a fat salary to destroy it.”
Hyde has steadily attacked Buchanan’s record in recent weeks, decrying the congressman’s votes that went against President Donald Trump and, more recently, a vote in support of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 that establishes new background check rules for firearm purchases.
“Vern Buchanan ran across the aisle with seven other Republicans to embrace a change in our Gun control laws. The second amendment is ABSOLUTE but Democrats and wannabe Democrats like Vern think they know better than our Founding Fathers,” Hyde said in a separate Facebook post.
Jan Schneider, a Democrat who has run for a congressional seat several times, officially filed to run against Buchanan in February. Schneider led unsuccessful campaigns in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2016 and 2018. Schneider has also taken to Facebook to criticize Buchanan’s relationship with Trump.
Schneider, 73, did immediately respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Hyde said Buchanan’s recent votes are what sparked his interest in running for the seat. He says he plans to challenge what he calls shortcomings in Buchanan’s record.
“What he did last week was the tip of the iceberg with him being one of the eight Republicans to decide to spit in the face of the Constitution,” Hyde said. “I’ve seen much bigger people than Buchanan be humbled. If I was him I would settle up and retire.”
Hyde said his top campaign issues are instituting Congressional term limits, reviewing Section 230 of the federal communications law, which critics say unfairly protects social media platforms, and protecting the Constitution. If elected, he vowed to stay true to his campaign promises without compromising his position with Democrats.
“The only terms on which we can agree is if they agree with me. I’ve kicked the tires on all their ideas and I don’t agree with a single one,” Hyde said.
Born in the United Kingdom, Hyde, 55, played professional soccer before moving to the United States at 32. He is the president of a Sarasota-based office supply company.
In 2019, Hyde became the center of controversy after a video went viral in which he made racist comments to a pair of Puerto Rican teenagers. ABC7 reported that Hyde told the teens to “go and cut the grass.” Hyde has since apologized for the incident.
“I took my beating for that because I know I did misspeak and the manner in which I spoke, it wasn’t appropriate and I learned a lesson from it,” he said when asked about the incident. “That was a miserable moment and I paid the price. I don’t want to be known for that.”
Hyde is in the process of formally submitting his candidacy papers with the Federal Election Commission. He hopes to have the paperwork completed by the end of the week.
Reached for comment Monday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Buchanan declined to comment on either of his 2022 challengers, noting that the congressman’s priorities are elsewhere.
“There will be plenty of time for campaigning next year after the new congressional districts are drawn, but right now Vern is focused on helping our veterans and seniors get their COVID vaccine and restoring jobs in our region,” said spokeswoman Sally Dionne.
But in the 2020 election cycle, Buchanan, 69, boasted his record more than ever before, releasing an ad highlighting the 22 bills that he’s gotten signed into law under three presidents.
Jack Brill, acting chairman of the Sarasota Republican Party, said the party is happy to see both candidates in the race.
“From our standpoint, the Republican Party is a big tent and we welcome all candidates, but on the same point, Vern is a very, very strong contender. He’s won all of his elections,” Brill said. “He’s done a really good job for CD-16.”
Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, kicked off his own re-election campaign with a Super Bowl weekend fundraiser event at the Longboat Key Club on Feb. 5. He was joined by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Cal., who spoke highly of Buchanan’s 14-year tenure in Washington.
“We have a lot of great members in Florida but only one leader,” McCarthy said, according to a press release. “There’s no one that works harder than Vern. He does a great job representing his district and his constituents.”
In November, Buchanan defeated Margaret Good, a Democrat who had won support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, by 11 points.
Florida’s 16th Congressional District includes Manatee County and parts of Hillsborough and Sarasota counties.
This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
