For GOP congressional candidate Dan Green, the military confrontation with Iran isn't the start of a new war — it’s the long-overdue resolution of a conflict that began in 1979.
Drawing on his own military tours in Iraq, the Navy veteran running in Florida’s 9th Congressional District argues that America is finally settling decades-long strife with Tehran, even as he faces a tough domestic battle over inflation, kitchen-table economics and a 10-year Democrat incumbent in the newly redrawn Orlando-based suburban district.
"I think one thing to know about Iran is that they've been at war with us since the 1970s, when they seized our embassy in Tehran and they took our Americans hostage. So to me, this is about ending a long war, not starting a war.
"Whether it's the Marine Corps barracks in the '80s when Iran bombed those, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and also with my tours in Iraq, the Iranians were killing a lot of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
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"So, the question is, what's the butcher's bill you're willing to tolerate of dead Americans? And we also know they plotted to kill and assassinate our president.
"So, to me, this has been a long time coming, but I think what we really need to focus on is how do we get a successful termination of this conflict and stability back in the Middle East?"
Green is running in a district that voted for President Donald Trump by a large margin in 2024, yet the Republicans face headwinds as inflation and energy prices remain a persistent preoccupation for voters. Yet, he remains confident in the appeal of the GOP brand, compared to the Democratic alternative.
"I think the Democrats have a huge problem right now. I don't think they know what they're really about," Green said. "As you know, they have a democratic socialist wing that is rising in power throughout their party, and a lot of moderate members are finding they have to make peace with that, or even liberal members as well."
He continued: "We've got a lot of members getting elected now across the country who are democratic socialists who believe in this radical ideology, who want to frankly destroy our Constitution in so many ways: they want to abolish the U.S. Senate, they want to bring back woke ideology, transgender ideology, and higher taxes. So I think in some ways we know what they are going to bring, but it's not a good future."
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Florida's 9th District, like much of the state, contains a large Latino population, which has been pivotal in shifting the state from purple to red. Green argues that while Republicans must appeal to voters on kitchen table economics, ultimately they need to be the party that upholds the rule of law.
"I think Americans of all backgrounds, regardless of race or ethnicity, are concerned about the cost of living these days. What we've been campaigning on is making America affordable again," Green said. "So these kind of kitchen table issues of grocery prices, gas prices, property insurance rates — they resonate irrespective of background, I would say.
"But the cornerstone of our republic is the rule of law, making sure we adhere to it and we follow it. There are ways of being compassionate with how we do that. There are ways of implementing that law more effectively. At the end of the day, we're either a nation of laws or we aren't. And so we need to do what's required to make sure the law is enforced."
The 9th District, which stretches from Orlando to the south, has a distinctly conservative bent, which Green argues will enable him to compete against the advantages of incumbency.
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"My opponent is an incumbent and sometimes with that come some advantages; name ID, access to greater resources," Green said. "But I think the district fundamentally is a conservative district and I think even non-party-affiliated members who aren't Democrat or Republican tend to be conservative.
"So I think we have a lot of great strength in this district for our campaign. I have worked in the military, I can put a plan together, and we're executing a good campaign plan to take the seat back and flip it from blue to red."
Finally, Green said he believes Soto's votes on economic policies will be key to building a contrasting vision for the voters of the 9th District.
"Well, he's been re-elected from a portion of our district, not the rest of the district. Most of the district has never voted for him or really seen him," Green said. "To me, you've got a decade of not solving our district's problems.
"He has voted against eliminating taxes on Social Security. He's voted against eliminating taxes [on] overtime. He's voted against eliminating tax on tips. To me, when you have the sort of affordability issue right now, those are not the right votes to take for this district. His values are also not aligned with our voters, as well.
"You know, he voted to not prohibit transgender care. He's also not done anything to stop insider trading for 10 years… and also, frankly, the democratic socialists are taking over the Democratic Party. You know, a vote for him is a vote for them, and I think that's not what this district wants."