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Majority Savers: Let's Support Alan Cohn for Florida-15! [1]

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Date: 2022-10-14

Candidate Background

Alan Cohn is primarily known as an award-winning journalist, not a successful politician. Most of the information below comes from his campaign website, and has to do with stories he has broken that won him awards.

He broke a huge story in late 2007 where he discovered that a series of defective parts were being used for Black Hawk helicopters. This coverage got him the Peabody award, one of the highest honors in journalism.

Cohn has worked in various newsrooms across the nation, including in New York, Sarasota, New Haven CT, and many more. He has been stationed in the Florida markets for 12 years now.

Cohn also has won a few Emmy awards for his news and journalism coverage. He found out a convicted killer was trying to join the Boston police and broke that story. He also helped a Vietnam veteran benefits when the VA denied him any.

Signature Issues

Cohn sounds the bipartisan kumbaya way too much for my liking, but that is what needs to happen in a district as marginal as this one. To be honest, he sounds like an old-school Republican, and that basically is our right flank of the Democratic Party these days.

Abortion and Health Care: Cohn is pro-choice, and will make sure politicians stay out of the conversation between doctors and patients. He will also work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, which is important in senior-laden Florida.

Education: Cohn wants to channel more students into STEM careers and vocational programs, as there is a great need for these people in the next generation. He would also tackle the rising costs of tuition where possible as well.

Infrastructure: With talk of a high speed rail line between Miami and Orlando in the works, Cohn wants to make sure that an additional line is built between Tampa and Orlando along the I-4 corridor to alleviate congestion there.

Elections History

Recent Elections —

2020 President: TFG (R-inc) 50.9%, Joe Biden (D) 47.7%

2020 House: NONE (this is a brand new district)

2022 PVI: R+4

2022 Race Rating: Likely Republican

This is a brand new district, thus it doesn’t have much history. Much of the area has been previously in what is now the 18th district, which has been a strong Republican seat for a very long time. In that district, the GQP tends to win elections and I suspect the same will hold true for this district. I am sorry that I don’t have more to report, but I cannot make up a history that doesn’t exist.

Political Tour of the District

This seat is much more competitive than the 18th district next door. Adding a college campus and competitive suburbs of Tampa tends to do that. Before you get too excited, this is still a district TFG won, and that is why Alan Cohn is a clear underdog.

Here’s where this race will be won in the 5th district.

USF Campus: This campus and the surrounding areas are the Democratic anchor of the district. It is unwise to rely on students to turn out, but Alan Cohn has no choice but to rely on a gangbusters turnout from this area to have a chance to win.

This campus and the surrounding areas are the Democratic anchor of the district. It is unwise to rely on students to turn out, but Alan Cohn has no choice but to rely on a gangbusters turnout from this area to have a chance to win. Tampa Suburbs: These suburbs hold the key to Cohn winning. Many of them are 50-50, and if Cohn can squeeze out a couple more percentage points from them, he will have a shot at winning. Failure to do so means a long night at campaign HQ.

Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.

Tampa Exurbs: Once you get away from Tampa, the political environment sours rather quickly for Democratic candidates. It is important for Cohn to maintain the Biden margins in places such as Zephyr Hills and Plant City, or he will be trounced in this election.

Once you get away from Tampa, the political environment sours rather quickly for Democratic candidates. It is important for Cohn to maintain the Biden margins in places such as Zephyr Hills and Plant City, or he will be trounced in this election. Lakeland Area: While there are a few blue precincts in Lakeland itself, the area is dominated by retirees that skew conservative. Cohn will have to hold the Biden margins here as well, and supercharge turnout in those blue precincts at the same time.

Activism — Help How You Can!

Alan Cohn isn’t raising enough to make this race more competitive. Partially, that is due to him getting in the race so late. But that doesn’t explain why he only raised around $400k for the critical third quarter. He needed to raise at least double that number to be in a competitive spot.

Laurel Lee, his GQP opponent, hasn’t released her third quarter numbers yet. However, she raised $445k in the second quarter and likely raised more in the third quarter. She had a primary election to deal with first, which always drains the campaign coffers.

DONATE TO ALAN COHN HERE

As we get closer and closer to election day, those volunteers get more and more important. I am barraged by texts soliciting donations and of course checking to see if I have voted. It isn’t just phone and text banking though. Campaigns need volunteers for all sorts of tasks! If you are in the Tampa area, use the link to contact the Cohn campaign and volunteer.

VOLUNTEER FOR HIM HERE

In terms of social media, Alan Cohn has a decent following, likely due to his days as a journalist. He has 13.3k followers on Twitter, which means his message is getting out there to people. He isn’t one of the more prolific tweeters out there, but he does tweet and retweet enough for me to drop this one below confirming his fundraising for the 3rd quarter. He also has Facebook and Instagram accounts for politics as well.

x .@AlanMCohn raised $400K in third quarter for his CD 15 run



Reporting by @JacobOgleshttps://t.co/2ADemev50O#FlaPol — Florida Politics (@Fla_Pol) October 5, 2022

This race seems to be one of those where our candidate is trying to skate on name recognition, both from his days as a journalist and from his previous run in 2020. I give him credit for trying to run in a tough district such as this one, but others run in tough districts and have more resources. Alan Cohn risks being trounced by the opposition unless he figures something out fast.

How to find all Majority Savers’ diaries:

To find all past and future diaries of the Majority Savers group, go to their Diaries List. (We suggest that you Bookmark that page.) The home page of the Majority Savers group is here.

Alan Cohn for Florida 15!

Donate | Volunteer | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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