Today was a first. Twenty-three years ago, I registered to vote. I’ve voted in every election in which I was eligible since. Until today, I had NEVER voted for a Democrat. Nobody who knew me then, including me, would have believed it. But we wouldn’t have believed an increasingly wicked Donald Trump and @ByronDonalds would become the standard-bearers of the Republican Party, either. Reagan Republicans wouldn’t have tolerated one man holding the nomination process hostage or making personal loyalty the measure of political worthiness. Reagan chose his primary rival as his running mate. Today, disagreement is treated as betrayal. The greatest influence on my vote was my wife and our two boys. They are my greatest treasure and my greatest duty. Their future matters more than my allegiance to any party. Having courage to stand up to @realDonaldTrump is why I voted for @DavidJollyFL. Loyalty to Trump is why I refused to vote for @AshleyMoodyFL, and it's why I cast my vote for @MBeltranFL with considerable reluctance. I believe David Jolly understands the struggles of working families. I don’t have that confidence in Byron Donalds. I have serious questions about his business record, accumulated wealth, and credibility. I’m a free-market capitalist. I celebrate wealth created through productivity and real value. But math should math. The Republican in me cringes at the prospect of Democrats governing congress for the next four years. The American in me is horrified by the growing control Donald Trump exercises over our government and the Republican Party. I hope 2026 makes 2006 look modest in history. Sometimes amputation is necessary to save the rest of the body. Today, I chose to amputate my political allegiance so the country I love, and the country my children will inherit, might have an opportunity to heal. I haven’t abandoned Republican principles. I’m refusing to abandon those principles for any one man. Principles > Party. Family > Government. Country > Corruption.