Kathryn Christine Cammack ( ; born February 16, 1988) is an American politician and political advisor serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 3rd congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Cammack previously served as deputy chief of staff to her predecessor, Representative Ted Yoho, who retired in 2020. She is the second-youngest woman newly elected to Congress in the 2020 election cycle, behind Democrat Sara Jacobs.
Early life and education
Cammack was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised on a 55-acre cattle ranch. When Cammack was a teenager, her mother spent time in jail for driving under the influence. In 2006, Cammack graduated from Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, Colorado. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Master of Science in national defense and strategic studies from the Naval War College. She has said she lived with her mother in an extended-stay motel for four months.
Cammack once claimed that her family was evicted from their cattle ranch "due to an Obama-era housing program"; in fact, the ranch was put up for sale because the family could not afford the mortgage payments.
Career
Cammack has said that her family's experience with the federal Home Affordable Modification Program in 2011 inspired her interest in politics. In 2009, she interned with U.S. Representative Mike Coffman. She later joined Ted Yoho's congressional campaign. After Yoho was elected, Cammack served as his deputy chief of staff from 2013 to 2019. In 2019, she left Yoho's office in Washington, D.C., and returned to Florida. Yoho did not seek reelection in 2020, fulfilling his pledge to serve only four terms. Cammack announced her candidacy for Yoho's seat in December 2019.
Cammack also operates an independent political consulting firm. After winning the primary, she was heavily favored to win the general election. In September 2020, Donald Trump endorsed her. After her primary win, Cammack established a leadership PAC.
Cammack ran for chair of the Republican Study Committee but later withdrew her bid for the position and endorsed Kevin Hern. She nominated Kevin McCarthy in the 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
Cammack defeated Democratic nominee Adam Christensen. She assumed office on January 3, 2021.
2022
Cammack ran for reelection. In the primary, she received 84.8% of the vote to her opponent Justin Waters's 15.2%. A third candidate, Manuel Asensio, dropped out before Election Day. Cammack won the general election with 62.5% of the vote to Democratic nominee Danielle Hawk's 36.3% and NPA Linda Brooks's 1.2%.
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress: Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
Caucus memberships
Republican Study Committee
Campus Free Speech Caucus
Congressional Pro-Life Caucus
During a speech on the House floor after the sixth failed attempt to elect Kevin McCarthy as House speaker on January 4, 2023, Cammack claimed without evidence that Democrats were drinking alcohol and eating popcorn during the vote. She said, "diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that is comin' over there". She reiterated the claim the next day on Fox News.
Political positions
2020 presidential election and storming of the U.S. Capitol
Cammack was one of 139 representatives who voted on January 7, 2021, to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. On the House floor, she said the January 6 attacks "furthermore resolved" her objection to the certification process and that, as representatives of the people, members of Congress must stand for a free and fair election. Numerous inquiries have found no evidence that the election was unfree or unfair to an extent that changed its outcome.