Mark Hertling, a local area resident and retired lieutenant general in the U.S. Army, has endorsed Jennifer Adams in the congressional election for Florida's 7th district. He picked Adams, a Democratic challenger, over incumbent Rep. Cory Mills, the Republican who assumed the seat in 2022. The endorsement is noteworthy not just as Adams gains momentum in the race, but because Hertling opted against a fellow Army veteran.
"The U.S. needs strong leaders now more than ever before," Hertling said in a clip expanding upon his endorsement. "Jennifer [Adams] is a dedicated, intelligent, capable, and selfless leader with unbounded integrity and energy and a great character, who understands our nation's values and the real duty of elected officials when they take the oath of office."
For Hertling, the decision to endorse Adams over Mills is surprising not just because retired high-ranking military leaders are commonly associated with conservative politics - Hertling himself has tended to stay politically agnostic. He appears as a military analyst frequently on CNN, but speaks in a way that seldom betrays any partisan preferences (if he has any to speak of). When asked about partisan politics, he tends to shy away and stay in his areas of firm expertise. The Adams endorsement is a departure from that.
"As a soldier I shouldn't tell you who to vote for," Hertling said, invoking his usual apolitical stature. "But I do know Jennifer Adams, and I know she'll spend time addressing the real issues that face our country. In my view, we need her and leaders like her serving in government."
Hertling served in the Army from 1975 to 2013, commanding the U.S. Army's European presence in 2011 and 2012. He commanded the 1st Armored Division and Task Force Iron/Multinational Division-North in the Iraq War during the 2007-08 troop surge. Among his decorations are the Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star. He rose to lieutenant general four years before his retirement.
As recently as 2022 Florida's 7th congressional district has had a Democratic representative in Congress, when Stephanie Murphy served three terms. Redistricting established a new area for the 2022 election, casting the boundaries over parts of Volusia and Seminole counties. Mills won his first term that year, besting Democratic opponent Karen Green with 58.5% of the vote. He pulled just under 178k votes, over 51k ahead of Green.
The 2024 congressional race is Adams' first run for public office. She advanced over Allek Pastrana and Tatiana Fernandez in the Democratic primary with 62.7%. As recently as June, Adams polled surprisingly close to Mills, with a 43% compared to her opponent's 48%. With 9% undecided in that Public Policy Polling figure, she'd have to earn a slim majority of undecided voters to pull even with Mills.
Despite this, Mills has his own heavyweights to tout in the so-called endorsement war. He had the stamp of approval from former and potentially future President Donald Trump in his primary election, and he'll likely boast that endorsement further in the general election. He's also picked up the support of Senator Ted Cruz (R, TX), Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, and GOP representatives Jim Jordan (OH-4), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Neal Dunn (FL-2), Jim Banks (IN-3), Greg Steube (FL-17), Brian Mast (FL-18), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Brian Babin (TX-36), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Markwayne Mullin (OK-2), John Rutherford (FL-4), Mark Green (TN-7), Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Ralph Norman (SC-5). He's also endorsed by CPAC and the Volusia GOP.
Aside from Hertling, Adams has built a firm coalition of endorsements in her own right. She's picked up nods from Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, the Orlando Sentinel, and Democratic representatives Lois Frankel (FL-22) and Val Demings (FL-10, former). She's also picked up nods from Florida senators Lori Berman, Tina Polsky, Tracie Davis, and Shevrin Jones, plus UAW Region 8, Iron Workers Local 808, Moms Demand Action, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 606.
