Ginny Brown-Waite
A Times EditorialThe culture in Washington needs to change. Voters can add new faces and still keep effective incumbents.
Published October 16, 2006
Republican U.S. Congress District 5
While U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville usually sides with her fellow Republicans in the House, her dissents are particularly notable.
Consider the hot-button issues in which she bucked the party line but gained popularity with voters in the 5th Congressional District:
- She supported expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
- She opposed the U.S. House's attempt to intervene in the Terri Schiavo controversy.
- She fought hard against Republican attempts to cut veterans benefits.
Brown-Waite, 63, also sharply criticized Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for lacking foresight and an effective strategy to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. And she continues to build a solid record of constituent service in a district that spans eight counties - including all or parts of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties - and has the nation's highest percentage of military veterans.
Brown-Waite's challenger is Democrat John Russell, 50, an acute-care nurse from Dade City who is shrill in both his politics and demeanor. Think Howard Dean with less sophistication and underpinning.
After four years in office, Brown-Waite remains a solid choice for voters. In U.S. House District 5, the Times recommends Ginny Brown-Waite.