March 11, 2020 by David Silverberg
Updated April 13, with correction and additional policy position.
Another Republican candidate has filed for Congress in the 19th Congressional District of Florida, bringing the total number of candidates to an even dozen.
03-11-20 Christy McLaughlin
Christina “Christy” McLaughlin filed her candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, March 9. This brings the number of Republicans running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Francis Rooney to nine. Also running are two Democrats and an Independent.
According to her campaign website, ChristyforCongress.com, McLaughlin is a Naples, Fla., native, and a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University and Ave Maria School of Law. She states that she sat for the Florida Bar but does not state if she passed the examination. She interned at the Florida state attorney’s office in the 20th District for two summers and for a judge of the 20th Circuit Court. In the summer of 2019 she interned in the office of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25-Fla.).
On her website McLaughlin declares that she “supports all of President Trump’s agenda. I have supported President Trump since he descended the escalator” and calls him “the greatest president ever.”
She is anti-abortion, pro-border wall, opposes birthright citizenship, opposes gun regulation, denounces socialism, applauds the Space Force and supports Israel’s right to exist.
There is no initial mention on her website of any local or environmental issues. She subsequently stated that "In Congress, I will fight to receive the necessary funding we need for the restoration and proactive measures we must take to keep our waters clean."
McLaughlin states that she is the daughter of Cuban immigrants who came to the United States in 1961.
In addition to her professional activities she states that she established the Republican National Lawyer's Association Chapter at Ave Maria School of Law and served as its president in 2018 and 2019. She also expanded the Young Republicans Party of Florida into Collier County and serves as the Collier County Chair. In 2014 she was crowned Miss Naples and Miss South Florida Latina.
Her father, Hugh McLaughlin, a software consultant, serves as treasurer of her campaign committee.