President Trump endorses Catalina Lauf in Florida’s 19th district race as election nears
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
President Donald Trump has endorsed Catalina Lauf in the District 19 race to replace Byron Donalds, a move that comes just three days before the election and has sparked debate about its potential impact.
Political consultant Dennis Pearlman compared the endorsement to a “Hail Mary pass,” noting its uncertain effectiveness. “I don’t know how effective it will be. It’s great to have that endorsement, of course, in Southwest Florida, but too little, too late? It’s close,” Pearlman said. He also pointed out that only about 25% of the Republican vote remains undecided. “I think the people who have waited this long are probably a more educated voting bloc,” he said.
Polling shows hometown candidate Jim Schwartzel leading the race, with Lauf in second place and Jim Oberweis in third. Schwartzel expressed confidence in his campaign. “I feel the groundswell here. I think they hit the panic button because they know I’m in the lead,” Schwartzel said.
Oberweis, who has been campaigning for over a year, commented on Lauf’s financial support. “I’m a little bit shocked that she has been able to get $5 million in outside funding from a super PAC we don’t know much about,” Oberweis said. The Protect Freedom super PAC has reportedly spent nearly $1 million on TV ads supporting Lauf. Schwartzel also criticized the funding, saying, “Well, we know that there is dark money out there. They’ve completely financed Catalina Lauf’s campaign.”
Lauf has not made herself available for interviews and has canceled several recent planned events. Schwartzel remarked, “Hey! If I had an endorsement from the president, I would be talking with you.” Oberweis added, “I haven’t even seen her at a lot of the Republican meetings.”
Pearlman suggested that Lauf should leverage the endorsement. “I’d be touting that. I’d be singing from the mountaintop. I think at this point it only helps her. It doesn’t hurt her,” he said. Lauf has scheduled a campaign rally for Saturday in Bonita Springs.
Early voting continues this weekend, with Election Day set for Tuesday. Insiders suggest the results of this closely contested race may take time to finalize.
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