Naples business owner Casey Askar just launched a bid in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.

That thrusts him into a race to represent a nearly coast-to-coast district under Florida’s new congressional map, entering a potentially competitive Primary and General Election.

“Washington is broken, and I know how to fix it. I’m a patriot who loves our country and a business leader with the skills to fix what’s broken in Washington,” Askar said. “Today, I employ thousands of Floridians across the 22nd Congressional district and South Florida. They’re my extended family. I worry about the health of their financial futures if we don’t fix the mess in Washington.”

Askar previously ran for Congress in 2020, coming in third in a Republican Primary to current U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

While Donalds’ seat is open this year due to the Naples Republican’s run for Governor, a new map approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis splits Collier County and puts much of it into CD 22.

Askar grew up in Michigan and graduated from Harvard Business School after his service with the U.S. Marine Corps. He’s also the founder of Askar Office Portfolio, now operating Askar Brands, Askar Properties and Askar Management Group. He’s also a major franchisee for Church’s Chicken, Dunkin’ Donuts and other national brands.

“As a business leader, I understand exactly how America’s economy is broken, and I know exactly how to fix it,” Askar said.

“I’m running to create a ‘prosperity society’ so we can all share in the American Dream and enjoy the blessings of comfort and prosperity. If my service in Congress helps provide that for our South Florida families, what greater gift can I give?”

Askar criticized how Congress is operating today.

“Washington is spending its way into debt at a rate of a trillion dollars of debt every 90 days. That’s unsustainable,” he said. “With our debt now exceeding our entire Gross Domestic Product, it adds to the cost of inflation we see at the grocery store, the gas pump, in housing, and pretty much everything else in our economy.”

Askar notably self-funded most of his prior campaign to the office, loaning $6.5 million and raising another $754,000 on top of that.

He follows a number of candidates into CD 22. That includes Republican Michael Carbonara, who has reported $2.3 million in self-funding to his campaign already and who had planned to challenge U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, under the prior map. Herbert Wertheim has also entered the race and brought $2.5 million in self-funding. On the GOP side, Daniel Franzese, Anna Medvedeva, Deborah Adeimy and David Burck have all reported more than six figures in fundraising.

Many speculate that Wasserman Schultz will ultimately run for the seat as well.

The race could be one of the most competitive General Elections in Florida. While almost 55% of voters under the new lines supported Donald Trump or President in 2024, Democrat Joe Biden won 51% of the vote there in 2020.

Askar’s campaign described him as a longtime Trump supporter and said he’s ready to face Wasserman Schultz, the longest-serving Democrat in Florida’s congressional delegation.

“The belief in American exceptionalism and the support for our God-given liberties and freedoms continues to be at the core of every American, regardless of what many destructive progressive and socialist-minded Democrats like Debbie Wasserman Schultz will tell you,” he said.

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