Woodward Running for US Congressional Seat

BAY COUNTY FL - Rhonda Woodward is creating excitement and momentum as she drives forward with her campaign to replace Neal Dunn, to be elected as the next U. S. Representative for Congressional District 2 (CD2). Woodward is a Constitutional Conservative, a Pro-Life Christian, a true Republican and a native Floridian, living in CD2 since 1976. She promises to be the voice for her constituents who are demanding change.

Woodward attended Florida State University, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education and an Education Specialist degree in Education Leadership and Policy. She served her community for over twenty (20) years as a teacher and school principal because, as she said, “I am very passionate about helping children. That’s why I became a teacher and school principal. Children do not have a voice much of the time and they need representation. Education equals opportunity.” She supports school voucher programs for the standard amount that a public school would receive and supports School Choice because “parents should have a right to choose” where and how their child is educated.

Her priorities are rebuilding American industry, improving America’s independence and economic growth by promoting free enterprise, reducing the size of government and eliminating the interference from the federal government in matters that should be dealt with by the state and local governments, in accordance with the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.

To reduce the size of government, Woodward would like to see agencies such as the Department of Education (DOE) abolished at the federal level because, “It is an overextension of the federal government into matters that should be governed by each state, with citizens participating in decision making about the education of children in their local school districts.” DOE employs zero teachers but spends $300 billion per year imposing rules, without input from local citizens, that do not help most children and are harmful to many. Woodward, along with other liberty-minded citizens, believes that the expansion of the Department of Justice and its interference in state and local matters should be reconsidered; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should not be driving policy to the states as they did during COVID; the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on inland waterways are an overreach; and that agencies such as the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) interfere with our Second Amendment rights by imposing policies.

Inflation is a critical issue that Woodward believes Congress must address. She has been the owner/operator of an insulation and construction business for the past five years, which is challenging in today’s environment, since the cost of goods has increased about 125% in the last five years, labor costs have doubled, and insurance rates have skyrocketed. This can destroy small businesses.

Due to her high ethical standards, Woodward chose to not hire illegal aliens although other companies did, even though that would have reduced the cost of labor and would not require insurance. She feels that election integrity is essential and that the impact of foreign money and large corporate interests through political action committees (PACs) collecting and spending unlimited funds, known as “dark money,” is a threat to our republic. There is a lack of disclosure for PACs so that the source of funds cannot be traced, leaving the door wide open for interference in elections. It also makes contribution limits meaningless. She said, “Transparency is the best policy!”

Woodward is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. She pointed out that when she attended Mosley High School, boys came to school with shotguns hanging in the back windows of their trucks because they went hunting before school, but nobody cared because, as she wisely stated, “Guns don’t kill people. Stupid people kill people. Evil kills people.” Woodward opposes Universal Background Checks for private firearms purchases, finds that Second Amendment rights were violated when Florida outlawed the purchase of long guns by 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds, and by Red Flag laws, which allow the government to confiscate weapons without due process. She opposes legislation that would ban the manufacture, sale or possession of semi-automatic firearms and large-capacity magazines.

She is very patriotic and supports a strong military and veterans. Her husband retired from the Air Force and her son-in-law is an officer in the Air Force. Her father was in the Army and her grandfather was in the Army Air Corps. In Congress, she will fight to keep the bases thriving here.

Woodward is, “Pro-life all the way, always has been and always will be, and will stand up for that.” She believes that the Supreme Court made the correct decision to send the abortion issue back to individual states to decide. Abortion was not mentioned in the Constitution, so it was always meant for the states to decide.

When asked about decriminalizing marijuana, Woodward stated, “The authority for the federal government to ban a substance was not granted in the Constitution” so the federal government should have no role in banning a substance, particularly a plant, through legislation. She also stated that the legislative branch should not dictate sentencing guidelines, allowing judges to have greater flexibility in sentencing when it comes to drug offenses.

The issue that most alarms Woodward is the open border that permits uncontrolled, illegal immigration of unvetted people. Woodward shared the idea that members of the Biden Administration may be guilty of treason, as evidenced by recently released data revealing that almost 170,000 migrants have been tracked and flown into Florida. She was initially puzzled as to why this was being done then was sickened when she concluded that it is likely not an innocent mistake but is instead being done intentionally.

We do not know who these illegal entrants are, where they came from, what their intentions are, whether they’re pedophiles, mentally ill or terrorists. Legal immigrants wait on long lists to obtain a visa to enter the country. Americans and visitors to our country must go through U. S. Customs just to come back from an island cruise, but undocumented people are flown in, given shelter and money, but are not tracked once they are released here. “This has to stop and the only way to stop them is to grab those purse strings and wrap them around the neck of those that are in charge of that budget.”

Another critical issue that will be prioritized by Woodward and other like-minded members that will be elected this year to Congress, is halting the uncontrolled federal spending that has accelerated the rate of increase in the national debt. “We cannot just keep pumping money out of the country that we don’t have and running up the National Debt. Congress must Take Care of America First”. She believes that members of Congress must prioritize the needs of our country and our constituents, instead of those of special interests. The 6,000-page Omnibus bills loaded with “pork” that are launched two days before a vote cannot possibly be read. She is against the backdoor politics. Woodward said, “I don’t need their money. I can’t be bought.”

Woodward seeks to resolve the out-of-control, wasteful, federal spending, such as in the last $95 billion bill that was passed for Ukraine, when enough money was spent to fund the Marine Corps for a year and noted that the interest that accrues on the National Debt every single day could fund the entire Department of Defense for a year.

When discussing foreign policy, Woodward mentioned wanting Ukraine to win their war but that she does not understand why the U. S. is also buying oil from Russia, therefore funding both sides of the war. She stated that we have already given more than our fair share, and the European Union should contribute instead, so that we can handle our own business and deal with our own border crisis.

Woodward is pro-Israel and pro-United States, referring to Israel as a strong ally. She criticizes Biden for also spending money on both sides of this war, seemingly because he can’t decide whether to fund Hamas terrorism and Iran, or stand up for our ally, Israel. This could bankrupt America. Her solution is to put sanctions back on Iran, clamp down on their oil production, and get eyes over there to see what is happening in their nuclear production facilities.

She wants to remain allies with Taiwan and to protect them from China. Since ninety-two percent (92%) of computer chips are manufactured there, and pharmaceuticals are manufactured outside of the U. S., for the sake of national security, we must re-establish manufacturing here and make our industries strong and independent.

Woodward would strive to eliminate the importation of deadly, illegal drugs such as fentanyl and heroine, that are killing Americans. Mainstream people don’t recognize the severity of the problem until it lands on their own doorstep. She speaks from experience about the drug problem since a neighbor’s son died of a fentanyl overdose. Drugs not only affect the addict but also affect all members of the family, who unsuccessfully try to help the person battle the drug addiction, and later will face overwhelming grief and loss.

When it comes to parents, their voices must be heard, and parents must advocate for their children. The worst thing she ever had to deal with was one teacher who didn’t make her class stand up during The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. That teacher allowed students to choose whether to stand up or not during the recitation. Woodward had a long talk with the teacher and told her that if she did not make the students stand up to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, then they could part ways at the end of the school year. The teacher made the students stand up. We need strong leadership like this in Congress, too.!

Woodward was shocked to find out that there are pornographic books in school libraries and classrooms, that can be accessed in elementary schools. She stopped working in the school system in 2019 so never saw the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) curriculum. She hopes this is a temporary fad, that will pass when parents stand up to be heard and join the fight in every school district in the country to save our children and families.

Woodward feels that in Congress she would fit in with the Freedom Caucus, with Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massey and Marjorie Taylor Greene. She will vote to reduce the size of government and to take us back to what the Founding Fathers intended, with the Constitution as our guide.

She will fight for more money for defense, especially now, and intends to focus on adding jobs that pay a living wage such as in manufacturing. Biden is planning to let the Trump tax cuts that stimulated growth expire in 2025, which has already caused companies to stop investing and building since they cannot predict the return on their investment.

Woodward is a strong supporter of President Trump. He has a proven track record. In one term of office, he started turning trade around, created 499,000 new manufacturing jobs, brought inflation down and interest rates down. Trump was faced with many crises but knew how to handle Korea, how to handle Putin, and how to handle the Middle East. People thrived under his administration.

She estimates that there has been so much damage done in the years since President Trump left office, that it will take at least ten years for the right administration to undo the extensive damage. Citizens everywhere need to “Get Out and Vote” to put Trump back in office. “Trump has got to win. He has got to.” Knowing that it is hard for just one person alone to have much impact, Woodward recognized that our citizens must act this year and help to elect enough new, fearless, patriot fighters to go to D. C. and unite, so that together they can help Trump to make an impact.

When asked why the People should send her to Congress, Woodward replied, “I will fight for you because I am one of you. I care about the people who don’t have a voice and I want to give them one.” She said that if you look at her opponent’s voting record, that should be enough to convince you to vote for her. That is literally why she got in the race, because the current Representative has voted with the Democrats so many times that she thought somebody must act and that somebody is her. She is not in the race for recognition. She doesn’t need a paycheck. What she does need is for somebody to make a change so that our grandkids can grow up here and at least have what we have now before it’s too late.

In closing, Woodward said, “Elect me, because I will fight for you.”

(Bay County Coastal does not endorse candidates.)