John Columbus, a 40-year-old Republican, is a modern millennial with a patriotic spirit and a big dream, seeking election to the United States Senate from Florida. Born to Cuban immigrants who arrived in the 1960s, his family's hard work and resilience greatly influenced him.
His maternal grandparents rebuilt their lives by selling ice cream and offering beauty services, while his paternal grandfather established a successful accounting business. John's parents, who moved to the U.S.
at a young age, faced adversity when his father, an insurance agent, passed away at 45, leaving John to support his family.
John is a proud product of the public school system, having attended Kensington Elementary, Ruben Dario Middle School, Coral Park, and graduated from Braddock High School. He has been in a relationship with his high school sweetheart for 21 years, and they have been married for 17 years, raising three boys.
His wife, a Colombian immigrant and elementary school teacher, recently earned a master’s degree in leadership, driven by her passion for improving the public school system.
John Columbus is running for the Senate because he believes Washington DC needs change. He emphasizes the need for diplomatic leaders in Congress who can make mutual concessions to overcome the current political stalemate.
John aims to foster an environment where both sides can achieve wins, rather than working against each other. He draws inspiration from Theodore Roosevelt, advocating for conservation and environmental stewardship as a top priority, and believes in protecting Florida’s natural beauty for future generations.
John is committed to improving Florida's public education system, which ranks 50th in average teacher pay. He advocates for expanding literacy and critical thinking by promoting the use of books to stay ahead of emerging technologies like AI.
He believes that literature is a powerful tool for intellectual development and aims to make America a leader in education once again.
John supports improving the Affordable Care Act and expanding non-profit healthcare to ensure all citizens have access to affordable insurance. He believes that increasing competition in the healthcare market will lead to lower prices and better services for everyone.
A devout Christian, John believes in the importance of a supportive, loving family and a vibrant, healthy community. He values the separation of church and state, using his faith to guide personal choices while respecting others' beliefs.
He emphasizes the power of democracy and the importance of free and fair elections.
John believes in fostering competition to cool inflation and supports small businesses to counteract the dominance of large corporations. He advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, including more processing centers and funding for border personnel, to address the crisis at the southern border humanely and logically.
John is a strong supporter of law enforcement and believes in holding leaders accountable for their actions. He supports term limits for Congress to bring fresh perspectives to Washington DC.
He also advocates for stricter regulations to prevent insider trading by members of Congress.
As a Florida Medical Marijuana patient, John supports the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. He encourages voters to support Amendment 3, which aims to make cannabis safer and more accessible.
John emphasizes the importance of integrity in politics, promising to act from a place of honesty and transparency. He believes that the Great Perception, where people believe what they want regardless of facts, needs to be challenged with truth and evidence-based policies.
John Columbus is asking for support from his fellow Floridians in the 2024 election, promising to bring commitment, experience, and integrity to the United States Senate. He aims to foster bipartisan cooperation, protect the environment, improve education, and ensure justice and fairness for all.
The Republican Party has long championed fiscal conservatism, advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy. They believe economic prosperity is driven by free markets and individual initiative.
This philosophy includes support for laissez-faire economics, tax cuts, reduced government spending, privatization, and reducing government-run welfare programs in favor of private-sector solutions and personal responsibility. The party's current fiscal stance supports lower taxes, deregulation of corporations, and opposition to labor unions.
Historically, the Republican Party had strong ties to local businesses and large national corporations. However, in the 21st century, this dynamic has shifted, with corporate America increasingly aligning with more liberal values.
The GOP now focuses more on small businesses and family firms, viewing larger corporations, particularly in tech sectors, as cultural adversaries.
Modern Republicans often endorse supply-side economics, a theory popularized during Ronald Reagan's presidency. They argue that reduced income tax rates can spur GDP growth, ultimately generating the same or more government revenue from increased economic activity.
Republicans typically advocate for tax cuts, oppose graduated tax rates, and favor private over government spending. They generally oppose the estate tax and have a historical precedent of supporting tariffs to protect American industries.
The Republican Party opposes government-run welfare programs, arguing they promote dependency on government assistance. Instead, they advocate for personal responsibility and self-reliance, supporting measures like the welfare reform of 1996, which limited welfare eligibility.
Traditional Values and Social Conservatism: Social conservatism within the Republican Party is deeply rooted in traditional values, often with a Christian foundation. The party supports gun rights as outlined in the Second Amendment, the death penalty, and restrictions on abortion.
They also oppose same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and comprehensive sex education, favoring policies that uphold traditional family structures.
Republicans generally support school choice through charter schools and vouchers for private education. They criticize the performance of public schools and teachers' unions and advocate for greater accountability within the public school system, as seen with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The party opposes a government-run single-payer healthcare system, advocating instead for a personal or employer-based insurance system, supplemented by Medicare and Medicaid. They support measures to increase health insurance portability, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and tax benefits to make insurance more affordable.
Since the 1920s, Republicans have generally opposed labor unions, supporting right-to-work laws that weaken union influence. They argue that unions can hurt businesses by driving up costs and reducing competitiveness.
Strong National Defense: The Republican Party typically favors increased military spending and a robust national defense. They often support unilateral action in foreign policy and have historically backed military interventions, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as part of the broader War on Terror.
The Republican Party has consistently supported a strong alliance with Israel, emphasizing the importance of this relationship in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. This support extends to military aid, diplomatic backing, and efforts to secure Israel's security against regional threats.
The party views Israel as a key ally and partner in the fight against terrorism and in advancing democratic values in the region.
The party's stance on international trade has varied over time. Initially supporting protective tariffs, Republicans later embraced free trade agreements.
However, recent years have seen a return to protectionist policies, notably under President Donald Trump, who initiated a trade war with China and renegotiated NAFTA.
Environmental Protection: Historically, some Republican leaders have supported environmental protection efforts. However, the party is now divided on issues like climate change, with many Republicans skeptical of human-caused global warming.
The party generally supports market-based solutions to environmental problems and opposes cap-and-trade policies.
Republicans advocate for increased federal investment in alternative energy sources and support measures to achieve energy independence. This includes promoting oil drilling in protected areas, which has drawn criticism from environmentalists.
Immigration: The Republican Party is divided on immigration, with some advocating for migrant worker programs and easing citizenship guidelines, while others emphasize stricter border enforcement. The party's approach has shifted in response to changing political dynamics and voter demographics.
The Republican platform opposes same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues, although there are dissenting factions within the party. Some Republicans support anti-discrimination laws, but the party remains divided on how to approach LGBTQ+ rights.
Republicans often support strict constructionism or textualism in judicial interpretation, criticizing judicial activism and advocating for judicial restraint. They support legislative measures to limit federal court jurisdiction in certain areas, reflecting their preference for state over federal authority.