‘Someone I trust’: Brian Mast backs ‘conservative fighter’ Dan Franzese for CD 25

The endorsement is the first this cycle that Franzese has received from a member of the chamber he hopes to join.

Republican Dan Franzese is heading toward a busy Primary for Florida’s 25th Congressional District with support from U.S. Rep. Brian Mast.

Mast, who is running for a sixth consecutive term in nearby CD 21, said he’s backing Franzese “because he’s the conservative fighter South Florida needs to stand with President (Donald) Trump and put America First.”

“Like me, Dan did not come up through the political establishment. Like so many families in South Florida, he built his career by earning his way forward, solving problems, and taking on tough fights,” Mast said.

“That matters. Washington needs more conservatives who know how to fight and win when the radical Democrats come after our values, our freedoms, and our way of life. Dan is a fighter, a conservative, and someone I trust to stand with President Trump.”

The endorsement is the first this cycle that Franzese has received from a member of the chamber he hopes to join. It adds to others Franzese received this cycle from politicos Dick Morris and Roger Stone, and the Second Amendment Constitutionalists of Florida.

Franzese is one of five Republicans running for CD 25, a newly drawn coastal district that stretches from Delray Beach in Palm Beach County through Broward and into Miami-Dade’s barrier island communities, including Miami Beach and Sunny Isles Beach.

Others in the GOP Primary, culminating Aug. 18, include former state Rep. George Moraitis, former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, antiterrorism expert Joe Kaufman — who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz last cycle — and Raven Harrison.

On the Democratic side, Moskowitz and Democratic Socialist Oliver Larkin are running.

Libertarian Peter Jassenhoff and write-in candidate Michaelangelo Hamilton have also qualified for the contest.

Franzese was also on the ballot in 2024, when he lost by 10 percentage points to Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel. He lost to her in 2022 by roughly the same margin.

Last cycle, Franzese netted endorsements from Trump, Stone, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, among others.

He raised close to $1.5 million through March 31 — the second-most of any candidate running, behind Moskowitz.

Singer is catching up quickly. He raised $1.34 million by the end of the first quarter (second-quarter campaign finance reports are due July 15).

That may explain why Franzese has gone on the offense in messaging recently, criticizing Singer’s record as Boca Raton Mayor and calling Singer a “fake Republican.” Franzese even launched a website, BidensBocaBoy.com, that, among other things, bashes Singer for helping developers, creating a Muslim Heritage Month in the city and pushing limits on single-use plastics.

The General Election is Nov. 3.

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