Republican candidate Joe Kaufman announced he will run in Florida's newly drawn 25th Congressional District in 2026 after narrowly losing the 23rd District race in 2024. Kaufman said his previous campaign earned 48 percent of the vote, the closest congressional contest in the state that year, and expressed confidence that new district lines and expanded coalitions will help secure a victory.

The race could pit Kaufman against Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz or longtime Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both of whom are considering bids in the new district. Florida recently completed redistricting, reshaping the political landscape ahead of what is expected to be a challenging midterm cycle for Republicans.

Kaufman, who describes himself as a 'terrorist hunter,' highlighted his background in counterterrorism research and activism, including efforts to shut down organizations and events he alleges were linked to extremist causes. While he advocates a strong foreign policy stance, he opposes deploying United States ground troops to Iran, suggesting third-party nations should take on that role if necessary.

Domestically, Kaufman supports expanding vocational training in high schools and replacing the Affordable Care Act with a lower-cost health care system. He argued that inflation and overseas conflicts will ease, and said Republicans can prevail by focusing on border security, economic issues, and criticism of Democratic policies.