Michael Kirwan is one of three Democrats seeking to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean in Florida’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all of Nassau County and half of Duval County.
Kirwan is running against two other Democrats: LJ Holloway, who has lost decisively to Bean in the previous two cycles, and Democratic Socialist Brit Robinson.
Bean was first elected Mayor of his hometown Fernandina Beach in 1996 at age 29, and served in both chambers of the Legislature before winning election to Congress in 2022.
Despite the favorable national environment for Democrats and the seat’s R+5 rating, Bean will likely be difficult to unseat. He holds a substantial fundraising edge and he has maintained a lower profile than GOP colleagues like U.S. Reps. Randy Fine and Cory Mills.
Florida Politics asked all candidates to answer a few questions. We are publishing their responses unedited so voters can hear directly from candidates. Here’s what Kirwan told us:
— Profession: I practiced law for nearly 40 years, helping people form and grow businesses before retiring to run for Congress.
— Education: I earned my B.A. from Duke University and my J.D. from Harvard Law School.
— Years in the district: I’ve lived in Northeast Florida essentially my entire life. My family moved back to Jacksonville when I was just a few months old, and I’ve called it home ever since.
— Community involvement: I helped draft the City’s ethic’s code and served as chairman of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission. I was also president and a board member of Scenic Jacksonville and a leader in the Riverfront Parks Now coalition, which helped to turn downtown riverfront property into public parks. I was President and a board member of the Association for Corporate Growth. I assisted numerous female owned businesses through the Athena program. I have taught adult and children’s Sunday School and served in numerous capacities with other organizations such as Cub Scouts.
— Why are you running? What are your top priorities? I spent nearly 40 years as a lawyer, most of it watching Washington write rules for the powerful rather than the average American and working families. I’m running to fix that. My top priorities are affordability, restoring trust in government, and protecting our constitutional rights as well as programs like Social Security, Medicare, reproductive freedom, and voting rights.
— What are the biggest issues facing residents of this district? What’s one bill you’d like to introduce in Congress? Affordability is the biggest issue facing residents in this District. Housing, insurance, groceries, and health care are all outrunning paychecks. There are many bills that I plan to introduce in Congress. The repeal of the cross the board tariffs that have been implemented is one bill that I will champion.
— Democrats blame Donald Trump for inflation, Republicans blame the lingering effects of the Joe Biden administration, while Americans just want their prices to go down. What can Congress do to ease the cost of living for working families? Repeal Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, they’re a tax on every family and they disproportionately hit young families and working families. Restore the Affordable Care Act to what it was meant to be, including a public option. Eliminate junk fees, reinstate energy efficiency standards, raise the federal minimum wage, and enforce antitrust law so markets stay competitive. None of that requires picking a side in the blame game, it requires Congress to do its job.
— Do you believe AI will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates, or should government slow its adoption to protect existing workers? What AI regulations or guardrails, if any, do you support? AI needs to be regulated now, not after the damage is done. We’ve already seen AI systems break out of controlled environments and hack into other companies’ systems on their own, that’s not science fiction, it happened this year. Congress should require safety testing and reporting before deployment, hold companies liable when their systems cause harm, and invest seriously in retraining for workers whose jobs are displaced. We don’t have the luxury of waiting to see how this plays out.
— Americans frequently complain about the cost and complexity of our healthcare system. What realistic solutions do you propose? Rebuild primary care, the countries that do it well get better outcomes for less money, and pay specialists to coordinate with primary care doctors instead of competing against them. Standardize claims processing and simplify deductibles and copays. The complexity is itself a hidden cost. And restore real competition, a public option to compete with private insurers, and a stop to single corporations owning the insurer, the hospital, and the doctors deciding your treatment all at once. No insurer should own the doctors who decide your care.
— How should we counter China’s growing influence and power, and what can we do to ensure America retains its technological, military and economic advantages? Start by ending the forever wars that drain our resources and our credibility. We need to end the war in Iran immediately. We need to rebuild our alliances instead of insulting the countries we need standing with us. China benefits every time we isolate ourselves from our allies.
— With regard to ending the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, what should America’s goals and approach be? On Ukraine, keep providing intelligence and weapons access. The goal is a free, independent Ukraine and a clear message that this kind of aggression won’t be tolerated. On Iran, this war was ill-conceived from the start, and the President has never sought a declaration of war from Congress for it. Until he does, Congress should cut off funding for these operations. Our immediate goal should simply be reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the shooting.
— Would you vote to continue funding Israel’s defense? Are there any conditions you want to impose on that funding? We need to stop subsidizing Israel. Israel is a strong, capable ally. Like our other allies, it should purchase American weapons on the same commercial terms everyone else does and agree that such weapons should only be used for defensive purposes. That’s not abandoning Israel, it’s treating Israel as the ally it is while recognizing that America must act in its best interest which is to pursue peace and cooperation among nations.
— Why are you the best nominee to win this seat in November? I’ve spent my career solving hard problems as a reasonable, rational person who works with all types of people, including those across party lines. That’s not a talking point, it’s how I’ve operated for 40 years. The endorsements I’ve earned come from elected and former elected officials across all three counties, Black and white, Republican and Democrat. People who’ve actually worked with me believe I’m the right person for this job, and that’s the best evidence that can be offered.