ORLANDO, Fla. — Republican congressional candidate and military veteran Dan Green emphasized his experience in federal defense policy on Thursday, positioning his campaign for Florida’s 9th Congressional District as a direct conduit for the White House’s “America First” agenda.
Speaking on Florida’s Voice Radio with host Brendon Leslie, Green—a 23-year member of the Navy Reserve—vowed to bring his leadership background and institutional experience to Capitol Hill to help implement structural changes in Washington.
“So I think across the range of issues, I’ve got the energy and the drive and the right priorities,” Green said. “But most importantly, having been a Trump appointee, I understand what the President wants.”
Green focused on the economic pressures squeezing Central Florida families, identifying the surging costs of groceries, gasoline, and property insurance as top voter concerns. To combat economic overreach, Green proposed a strict regulatory rule: sunsetting at least two existing federal regulations for every new one introduced by administrative bureaucracies.
A central pillar of Green’s platform is his extensive national security resume. At 25 years old, the Navy intelligence officer was working at the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The event prompted him to volunteer for five subsequent military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, which included two deployments alongside Navy SEAL teams in Fallujah and southern Afghanistan.
Green later served for nearly two years during the first Trump administration as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development. In that role, Green said he worked to pivot the Department of Defense toward prioritizing the long-term threat of Communist China through a doctrine of “peace through strength.
“You can’t have deterrence unless you have a war-winning capability as well,” Green said, noting that his experience navigating the federal apparatus allows him to understand how to deliver results against what he described as entrenched federal bureaucracies.
On domestic policy and governance, Green threw his full support behind the federal Save America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and identification to vote in federal elections. Pointing to his personal experience assisting with the 2000 Florida presidential recount, Green emphasized that safeguarding the integrity of the electoral system remains a paramount priority for defending the republic.
Florida’s 9th Congressional District, currently represented by incumbent Democrat Darren Soto, covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties.