W. Steube

Spence identifies as a centrist and outlines his priorities as saving Social Security, reducing the national debt, and addressing property insurance costs.

Spence's platform also includes proposals on immigration reform, election security, and environmental protection for Southwest Florida.

Two Democrats are competing in U.S. Congressional District 17’s primary: Allen Spence of Charlotte County’s Babcock Ranch and Sarasota’s Matthew Montavon are aiming to defeat Republican incumbent Greg Steube, who’s now serving his fourth term. The Aug.18 election will decide which Democrat will be on the November ballot, on which little-known no-party-affiliation candidate Michael Quirk will appear as well.

Steube, who’s consistently won by nearly 30 points since 2018, is running in the deep red district that includes all of Charlotte and parts of Sarasota and Lee counties.

U.S. 17 has morphed in recent years, resulting in a more diverse and urban version than the one voters saw after the 2022 redistricting. Florida’s latest congressional territory revision pushed 17 deeper into Lee County, adding portions of Fort Myers, including the historically Black Dunbar community, while continuing to include all of Charlotte and much of Sarasota County. That county has gone back and forth and back again: starting with an in-county split between districts 16 and 17, then becoming all 17, then returning to “a pre-2022 scenario,” as Sarasota’s Supervisor of Elections’ website describes it.

Only registered Democrats can participate in their party’s primary, but all registered voters can vote in the Nov. 3 general election. Candidates like Quirk, with no party affiliation, go straight to that November ballot, with no limits on how many unaffiliated candidates can appear, since they don't belong to a party.

Here are Spence’s answers to The News-Press & Naples Daily News candidate questionnaire, lightly edited for length and clarity

Q: Why are you the best person to represent Congressional District 17, and what in your background has prepared you to serve effectively?

A: I'm a Fort Myers native and lifelong Floridian who has worked in finance for over two decades, serving companies large and small. The gap between rich and poor keeps growing because too many Americans are shut out of the markets where wealth is built. After years of sky-high prices and inflation, real wages are falling, and families spending everything on essentials have nothing left to invest. I'm an economics graduate of USF, a husband, father, and Scout leader. Congress needs working people who live these pressures, not a political class.

Q: How would you describe your political philosophy and where do you place yourself on the political spectrum? Why?

A: I'm a centrist grounded in common sense. I used to be a Republican, but January 6th made clear the GOP had abandoned its principles, and I began my journey out of that party. My views are rooted in my economics education, and my policy goals are built around specific outcomes, strengthening families and lowering costs. You can see that in my economic plan, "The Prosperity Agenda." Too many politicians today care about power, not the welfare of the people. The Constitution says the government should provide for the general welfare.

Q: If elected, what are your top three priorities for District 17, and what specific legislation or actions would you pursue to accomplish them?

A: First, saving Social Security. Earnings above $185,000 are exempt from payroll tax, so the ultra-wealthy pay a lower rate than nurses. I would be a vote to abolish the wage cap, securing benefits for generations. Second, the $40 trillion national debt. I'll cut defense spending by 10 to 20 percent and impose a fee on the asset-backed loans that the ultra-wealthy use to dodge taxes. Third, property insurance. I'll pursue a federal disaster reinsurance backstop and ban the subsidiary fee structures insurers use to hide profits and justify premium increases year after year.

Q: Affordability remains a major concern for Southwest Florida residents. What should Congress do to address the cost of housing, insurance, health care, energy and other everyday expenses while promoting economic growth and fiscal responsibility?

A: My economic plan, the Prosperity Agenda, targets two outcomes, lowering costs and strengthening families. On housing, I'll require new homes to include residential flood barriers, modeled on Florida's impact-window law, and reward homeowners with discounted flood insurance premiums. On health care, I'll restore the enhanced ACA subsidies Congress let expire. I'll fight for Congress to reclaim its constitutional tariff authority, ending the Canadian boycott. Canadians pay $600 million yearly in Florida property taxes and sustain our restaurants and small businesses. Their absence shifts the tax burden onto Southwest Florida residents.

Q: Southwest Florida faces ongoing challenges involving growth, infrastructure, environmental protection, water quality, hurricane resilience, and disaster recovery. What role should the federal government play in addressing these issues?

A: As a lifelong Floridian, I've lived through numerous hurricanes, including Ian in 2022. The federal government must be a strong, active partner, not a bystander. Disaster aid should flow automatically when a declaration is signed, never withheld as a political weapon. I'll fight to restore the resilient infrastructure grants and FEMA staffing Washington gutted, because prevention costs less than rebuilding. On water quality, I'll pursue market-based limits on the fertilizer runoff feeding toxic algae in the Caloosahatchee. Washington should protect Southwest Florida before storms, not just after.

Q: What are your views on border security and immigration reform, including deportation policies, ICE and border patrol regulation, birthright citizenship and the role of states, especially Florida, in immigration enforcement? What is your opinion about Alligator Alcatraz?

A: My plan, Safe, Secure, and Accountable Immigration, is at spence2026.com. Restore order by processing asylum claims outside the United States. For immigrants living here peacefully, an earned path, work permits, then residency, then citizenship. Violent offenders are prosecuted and deported, no exceptions. ICE gets no new funding until it's reformed, with agents clearly identified and accountable. Birthright citizenship is settled by the Fourteenth Amendment. Alligator Alcatraz is a concentration camp that will forever stain our legacy, and Florida should investigate every no-bid contract awarded to political donors.

Q: What should U.S. policy be regarding major international challenges, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, and what role should Congress play in decisions involving military action and foreign spending?

A: Congress must reclaim its war powers and the power of the purse. On Ukraine, fund victory. Russia commits war crimes daily and seeks to erase Ukrainian identity, which is genocide. On Iran, the war was unnecessary. Iran posed no direct threat, and I would be a vote to end it. Both chambers voted against it; the administration ignored Congress. On Cuba and Venezuela, end the embargo and sanctions, and let American culture and commerce compete. Their favorite sport is already baseball. Engagement spreads freedom faster than isolation ever has.

Q: What are your positions on the major cultural and governance issues facing the country today, including abortion, gun rights, education, LGBTQ protections, artificial intelligence, social media regulation, term limits and government accountability?

A: On artificial intelligence, data centers must plug into the grid, never generate their own power, and pay higher electric rates than families, not lower, as today. The Arcadia data center was proposed without any water plan. How can that be approved? On education, $10,000 teacher retention bonuses to keep experienced teachers in classrooms. On governance, I support term limits, automatic voter registration at 18, and expanding the House as our population grows. I believe in civil rights, and LGBTQ Americans are citizens entitled to every protection under law, including marriage.

Q: What is your stance on the VOTE Act, election security and voter rights?

A: Secure elections and accessible voting are not in conflict. My democracy reform plan starts with automatic voter registration and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which protects voters and requires transparency when states change election rules. It goes further: 12 at-large senators elected by national popular vote, so every American's vote carries equal weight. And a 13-judge national panel to hear cases where the federal government is a party, restoring balance to the Supreme Court. Noncitizen voting is already illegal, prosecuted, and vanishingly rare. I'll oppose laws making voting harder.