Allen Boyd is Florida’s Second District’s representative to the U.S. House. Geographically the largest district in the state, the Second District is located in Florida’s panhandle and includes the state capital, Tallahassee, and one Florida’s biggest universities, Florida State University (Allen Boyd for Congress: Biography).
Why Allen Boyd would be a good candidate for U.S. Senate:
- Though his district includes Tallahassee, it is predominantly rural (OnPolitics); Boyd therefore has experience representing both rural and urban constituents making him suitable to represent a state with both very large cities and substantial farmland.
- Boyd is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Conservative Democrats. His ability to cross party lines and centrist stance allows him to reach out to a wide range of voters, making him a promising choice for Senate candidate.
- Elected to the Florida House in 1989 and to U. S. Congress in 1997, Boyd has the name recognition necessary to be a serious Senate candidate. In the 2000 election Boyd soundly defeated Republican challenger 72% to 28% (OnPolitics) and has strong support north of Orlando (Miami Herald) . Boyd is a member of two House Appropriations subcommittees indicating his ambition and ability to move up the power structure.
- Boyd considered running for Senator Graham’s seat in the 2004 election but decided instead to “ focus on fending off a Republican challenge” to his House seat (Miami Herald). His entrance early on in the race, however, indicates ambition to run for the Senate.
Allen Boyd’s Stance on Key Issues in Florida:
- Boyd is a fiscal conservative working through the Blue Dog Coalition to create a plan for a balanced federal budget.
- Boyd’s stance on prioritizing education through increased funding (Allen Boyd for Congress: Issues) would make him a strong challenger for Democratic Senate candidate Betty Castor.
- Health Care is a key issue for Florida’s elderly population. Boyd supports prescription drug benefits (Allen Boyd for Congress: Issues), and the Prescription Drug Discount Card (Congressman Allen Boyd), and voted for limiting medical malpractice lawsuits in 2004 (On the Issues).
- A veteran of the Vietnam War, Boyd has stressed the importance of keeping benefits for veterans and improving the housing and healthcare options for military families. Boyd is endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee (Allen Boyd for Congress: Press) and would be able draw support from Florida’s large military constituency.
- Boyd is a social conservative, who believes strongly in protecting Second Amendment Rights (Allen Boyd for Congress: Issues) and voted in 2003 to ban partial birth abortion except to save the mother’s life (On the Issues), allowing him to reach out to conservative voters.
- Boyd, however, also supports funding for traditional democratic causes such as Medicare, Education, and farm protection.
Created on September 22, 2004 by Lindley Swartz
last updated September 22, 2004