Austin Rogers spent years on Capitol Hill as a counsel but now hopes to return as a U.S. Representative. Amanda Marie Green worked in foreign aid and now wants to serve in a federal government that cut such work in a quest for efficiency.
Both face off Tuesday in a race to see who succeeds retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.
Rogers emerged from a competitive GOP Primary, where he defeated powerhouses including the sitting Republican Party of Florida Chair, a former U.S. Senate candidate who dumped millions out of pocket into the race and the Gulf County Superintendent of Schools.
Green also won the Democratic nomination in an uncertain contest in August, beating out a local philanthropist, founder of a political tech company and the last Democratic nominee to challenge Dunn.
Heading into the Nov. 3 vote, Rogers should hold the edge based on voter registration numbers. But Democrats hope to overperform in the district in a political climate deeply hostile to President Donald Trump, and most of this district was represented by a Democratic U.S. Representative twice in the last quarter century.
Green, a Tallahassee Democrat, worked for more than nine years for Chemonics International, a contractor with the U.S. Agency for International Development until the Trump administration eliminated the entity under Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Now, she hopes to bring her experience to Congress, and her perspective as a new mother living in a part of the state feeling substantial economic hardship all around.
“Anyone who chooses to raise their family in North Florida knows how uniquely special it is. It has been the honor of a lifetime to spend the last year and a half hearing from people across this district,” Green said.
“With each story I’ve become more resolved that we cannot afford more of the same: We cannot afford to elect someone that guts nutrition assistance while one in four families face hunger, fails to support our farmers and ranchers who put food on our tables and are the last line of defense against overdevelopment and data centers, and guts our access to healthcare in rural areas.”
She hopes to be the first Democrat representing CD 2 since Gwen Graham, a former Congresswoman now running on the Democratic ticket for Lieutenant Governor. Graham served one term but chose not to run again after a court-ordered redistricting changed the makeup of the seat before the 2016 election.
That’s the year Dunn flipped the seat red, and he defended it after a 2022 redistricting largely returned it to a prior shape and pitted him against Democratic colleague Al Lawson.
The makeup of the district should give Rogers an edge. As of the closing of voter registration books for the election, CD 2 was home to about 238,000 Republicans, 169,000 Democrats and 99,000 other voters. In 2024, more than 58% of voters in the district supported Trump for President and just over 40% voted for Democrat Kamala Harris instead. Meanwhile, Dunn won almost 62% of the vote as he ran for his final term.
Rogers, notably, is also a young parent with a history of working in the federal government. Most recently, he worked as General Counsel for U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, and before that he worked as Chief Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, including when the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina chaired the panel. That has drawn lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the current Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, to campaign for Rogers in the district.
The opening of the seat, Rogers said, has offered him the chance to represent his home community.
“As a Panhandle native, I know and love Florida’s 2nd Congressional District well, and it would be the honor of a lifetime to represent it in Congress. And now as a father of three, I have a stake in the Panhandle’s success,” he said. “During this past year, I’ve gotten to know this District even better as its Republican nominee and met so many of the incredible people that make it up.”
The race has been a costly one all around. Through Oct. 14, Rogers raised $1.36 million for the race while Green raised more than $658,000. But since the start of September, the candidates’ fundraising has been similar. In the last two fundraising periods, the Republican reports about $350,000 in fresh fundraising receipts to the Democrat’s roughly $310,000. As of mid-October, Rogers reported more than $98,000 cash on hand to Green’s $28,000.
But both candidates saw outside support coming in to help their campaigns as well. Notably, a super PAC called Panhandle Patriots has supported Rogers with more than $1.7 million in spending across the course of the campaign. Meanwhile, groups like the Blue Dog Coalition, focused on electing moderate Democrats, have helped Green.
Both are sticking to economic messages.
“As I’ve heard from voters, they’ve shared about the issues that matter most to them: affordability, Iran, artificial intelligence, farming, congressional stock trading, immigration, the budget, Social Security, Flock LPR cameras, healthcare, and more. Faced with these critical issues, we can’t afford to send someone to Congress who doesn’t share our values or lacks the relevant experience to be effective,” Rogers said.
“As someone who was born and raised in the Panhandle, and as someone who leads his family with faith, I share this district’s values. I have fished in the bays here and hunted in the woods here my whole life. And as a Chief Counsel in Congress, I have years of experience putting pen to paper on bills that became law, conducting hearings, and leading investigations. I also practiced law for several years after graduating law school. I have the experience to deliver Day One results for the Panhandle. Some of my top priorities will be addressing affordability, holding China accountable, and ensuring that we have thoughtful leadership when it comes to artificial intelligence. I also want to restore civic discourse to Congress, and create a renewed vision of faith for this country.”
Green also has run largely on economic issues, and said CD 2 needs someone focusing on matters that directly impact their household budgets.
“North Florida, the Big Bend, and the Panhandle are struggling to build a better future for our families while Congress refuses to work for us because they’re focused on lining their own pockets and serving their billionaire and corporate bosses,” she said.
“I find strength in the conversations I’ve been having with folks across these 16 counties and our shared knowledge that we deserve better — and we are demanding better this November. I look forward to serving the people of North Florida.”
