DeBary City Councilman Stephen Bacon says he is the moderate in the GOP primary looking to take on U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and he hopes that position will lead him to victory over his Republican rivals and the congresswoman in November.
With the seat covering Seminole County and the northeastern part of Orange County, Bacon, the only candidate that is running from Volusia County, is running outside of his own geographic district. That doesn’t seem to faze him and Bacon described his tenure on the DeBary City Council as rough.
“It’s been a difficult venture because many of them have no experience and have no education,” Bacon said. “Instead of a corporate environment, it is one-man rule for the city manager.”
That’s not the only problem Bacon has had with the city government. Bacon has been cited for intimidating a staff member and engaging in inappropriate conversations and told not to have contact with her.
Now 80 years old, Bacon said being the oldest candidate in the race is not a deterrent.
“My age is actually a benefit. I have been a super executive. I’m actually a self-made millionaire and I did it on my own, right from college, an insurance CFO for many years, and was a budget advisor to Miami Beach,” he told Florida Daily.
According to Bacon, he has other advantages over his primary opponents.
“I have imagination and capability on problem-solving that is probably very unique. Maybe 200 million people haven’t come up with how to take care of 30 million uninsured people and I have a solution to that problem,” he said.
Florida Daily asked Bacon exactly what that solution is and he answered by saying “I don’t want to give away my intellectual property.”
Bacon was also adamant about his desire to fight for women’s issues.
“I will work relentlessly for women’s issues, at least 15 of them, 60 whatever it takes because women, in my opinion, are better workers than men, and they are the glue that holds the family together. They are more focused on jobs, and less on money,” Bacon insisted.
Bacon does not have a campaign website.
“Because she is so entrenched that no one has been able to get her out of office, and spending $200,000 is a foolhardy effort,” Bacon said about Murphy.
This is not Bacon’s first attempt at Congress. Back in 2010, he challenged longtime U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., as a member of the now-defunct Florida Whig Party. Murphy upset Mica back in 2016. Online searches for Bacon’s congressional bid reference the 2010 campaign instead of his current effort.
Florida Daily asked Bacon how he will reach out to voters and win the race without a campaign website.
“I have a unique way of doing it, and I think I can do it with less money. I am looking for the Republican Party to support me,” Bacon told Florida Daily.
Bacon stressed that he is the moderate in the race and promised to vote based on his views before rattling off a list of policies he plans to pursue.
“I believe in term limits…should be the same as the president’s,” Bacon said. “I believe in women’s rights and sensible decisions about their body and I have alternate solutions to end late-term abortions. I believe in background checks before guns are purchased.”
Bacon added that he supports paying down the national debt with a tax on legalized marijuana and backs a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
The first policy he plans to try and pass is vocational training for high school students with the object being work-ready.
“They should be able to be licensed at the end of high school and enter apprenticeship programs,” Bacon said.
Bacon accused Murphy of “stealing his intellectual property” and said she lacked imagination.
“She is supported by Nancy Pelosi and allegedly by George Soros. She admits accepting dark money,” he told Florida Daily.
To take Murphy on in November, Bacon will have to defeat a lengthy list of Republican challengers including Chelle DiAngelus, Richard Goble, Leo Valentin and Yukong Zhao.
Reach Mike Synan at mike.synan@floridadaily.com.
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