Laurel Lee
Laurel Lee has represented Florida's 15th District since January 2023. She previously served as Florida Secretary of State (2019-2022) and as a circuit judge in Hillsborough County. After the 2026 redistricting she announced she would seek re-election in CD 15, which now takes in Citrus and Hernando counties and parts of Pasco and Hillsborough; she is the Republican nominee on the Nov. 3 ballot. House Democrats' campaign arm listed the seat as a 2026 target.
How they got on the ballot: Republican nominee for CD 15 (Ballotpedia; primary details not found in search snippets)
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Strongly agrees· based on record
Lee voted for H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) on final passage in July 2025. The law made the 2017 individual tax-rate cuts permanent and added new deductions while reducing projected federal spending on Medicaid and SNAP.
Immigration Strongly agrees· based on record
Lee voted for the Laken Riley Act (mandatory federal detention of unauthorized immigrants arrested for theft and certain other offenses) in January 2025 and for H.R. 1, which appropriated funds for border-wall construction, Border Patrol hiring and expanded immigration detention and removal operations. Her campaign site says she voted for legislation investing more than $46 billion to finish the border wall, expand the Border Patrol and support deportation operations; in office she has repeatedly called the Biden-era border situation a national-security and humanitarian crisis.
"Border security is national security."
Abortion Leans disagree· stated position
Lee describes herself as pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade and says abortion regulation should be left to the states. In her 2022 campaign she voiced support for Florida's then-15-week limit; no statement on the state's six-week law was found. SBA Pro-Life America records her as voting consistently against taxpayer funding of abortion.
Guns Leans disagree· stated position
Lee's House website says she is 'a strong supporter of the Second Amendment' and will fight efforts that might infringe on the right of law-abiding gun owners to keep and bear arms; she supported H.R. 1181 (Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act), which would bar special merchant codes for firearm and ammunition purchases. No statement on Florida's red-flag law or the 21 purchase age was found.
"I will always fight to protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners."
Health care Leans disagree· based on record
Lee voted for H.R. 1, which added work-reporting requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid expansion enrollees and reduced projected federal Medicaid spending. No statement on expanding Medicaid in Florida or extending ACA subsidies was found.
Elections & voting Leans disagree· based on record
Lee voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. No statement on mail voting or drop boxes was found. As former Florida Secretary of State she says she modernized election systems and strengthened cybersecurity, and in Congress advocates 'clear, consistent election laws that promote confidence in the process' (campaign site).
Energy & utilities Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted for H.R. 1 (2025), which phased out most Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits and expanded oil and gas leasing.
Veterans Leans agree· stated position
Her campaign site says she is 'a strong advocate for the nation's veterans, servicemembers, and their families' and works to ensure they receive the support they have earned; specific VA-expansion proposals were not captured.
No public position found on 9 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Social Security & Medicare, Education & school choice, Environment & water, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Tariffs & trade, Ukraine, Trump administration. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Border wall, Border Patrol and fentanyl interdiction funding — Campaign site highlights her vote for legislation putting more than $46 billion toward finishing the border wall, expanding the Border Patrol workforce, funding surveillance technology to stop fentanyl smuggling, and supporting deportation operations and local law-enforcement partnerships.
- Election administration and cybersecurity — Cites her tenure as Florida Secretary of State (modernizing election systems, cybersecurity) and says she advocates clear, consistent election laws in Congress.
- Infrastructure, economic development and public safety for the district — Campaign site says she is 'championing infrastructure, economic development, and public safety priorities' and wants an economy that 'rewards work, empowers small businesses, and prepares the next generation of American workers.'
- Firearm-purchase privacy (H.R. 1181) — Supported the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act to stop creation of a special merchant-category code for firearm and ammunition retailers.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Listed by House Democrats' campaign arm (DCCC) as a 2026 target.
- Voted yes on final passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 3, 2025), which extended the 2017 tax cuts, funded border and immigration enforcement, and changed Medicaid and SNAP eligibility rules.
- Voted yes on S. 5, the Laken Riley Act (Jan. 22, 2025), requiring federal detention of unauthorized immigrants charged with theft-related and certain violent offenses.
- Voted yes on H.R. 22, the SAVE Act (Apr. 10, 2025), which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
- Reported raising an additional $679,000 for her 2026 re-election effort (Florida Politics).
- Voted for H.R. 1 (2025), the budget reconciliation law that extended the 2017 tax cuts, added Medicaid work requirements, reduced clean-energy tax credits and funded expanded immigration enforcement.