Three Florida Candidates Climb Young Guns Ladder

Washington- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced today that three Republican candidates in Florida’s 24th Congressional District have advanced in its Young Guns candidate recruitment and development program. Karen Diebel and Craig Miller have advanced to ‘Contender’ status, the second level of the three-tiered program. Sandy Adams has met the benchmarks to move to ‘On the Radar’ status, the program’s first level. Each candidate will now face a new set of benchmarks in their bids to unseat liberal Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.

Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns program is a member-driven organization dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. By reaching higher levels, the trio has proven that Kosmas’ high placement on GOP target lists is well-deserved.

“Craig Miller, Karen Diebel, and Sandy Adams have already demonstrated that they will be formidable candidates by meeting the Young Guns program’s rigorous goals,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). “They are all well on their way to building winning campaigns that will put this seat in the Republican column. Sandy, Karen, and Craig are part of a strong pool of candidates who are frustrated with the Democrat majority’s big-government ways and aren’t willing to stand by any longer. Their campaigns have put Suzanne Kosmas on notice that her liberal record – including a politically-calculated healthcare flip-flop – will amount to nothing more than a flash in the pan in Central Florida.

Craig Miller, a Central Florida native, began his career serving our country in the Air Force as a volunteer enlistee and concluded his service with the rank of Staff Sergeant. Miller went on to build a successful career in the hospitality industry, serving as Chairman of the National Restaurant Association and as a Florida State Tourism Commissioner appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush.

Karen Diebel is a former Winter Park Vice Mayor and City Commissioner. She works as an Executive Director at Verizon Business, where her work earned her a spot on the Orlando Business Journal’s 2009 “Women Who Mean Business.”

Sandy Adams is serving her fourth term in the Florida House of Representatives. She served in the Air Force before joining the Orange County Deputy Sheriff’s Department, where she served for 17 years until being elected to the State Legislature in 2002.

While already having achieved certain benchmarks to place them on the road to victory, all three candidates now face a new set of rigorous goals that will elevate them to the next levels of the Young Guns program and help them build competitive, effective and winning campaigns.

For more information, click here.