Marco Island City Council Vice Chair Rene Champagne endorsed Belinda Keiser in the Republican primary for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. Keiser, a self-described America First conservative, is among seven Republicans seeking the open seat. Champagne, a retired Naval officer and former CEO of ITT Educational Services, previously led Colgate Palmolive’s respiratory care subsidiary and served as CEO of Respiratory Care Inc. He has also chaired the Marco Island Fire Rescue Foundation and the Marco Island Community Parks Foundation. “Belinda has dedicated her life to helping Floridians build successful careers, while creating jobs and strengthening communities across our state,” Champagne said. “She will no doubt bring that same tenacity to Washington representing our community of Marco Island.” Keiser responded, “I have great respect for his extensive, active involvement in his community and his military service. Just as he has become an important voice for residents, businesses and organizations on the island through the city council, I am committed to advocating for Marco Island’s interests in Washington as their next representative in Congress.” The district stretches from Marco Island in Southwest Florida to the Atlantic coast. The endorsement follows previous support from the Palm Beach Police Benevolent Association and U.S. Representatives Vern Buchanan, Aaron Bean, Neal Dunn, Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis. Democratic U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who had been mentioned as a potential candidate, chose to run in Florida’s 20th District instead, making the 22nd District an open race. Keiser has pledged to invest $1 million of her own money into the campaign. She currently serves as Vice Chancellor of Keiser University, a not‑for‑profit institution she helped expand to 18 campuses and more than 20,000 students, employing over 4,000 staff. The university reports an annual economic impact of $5.9 billion and 44,700 jobs in Florida. The new district voted for President Donald Trump with just under 55 percent in 2024 and for President Joe Biden with 51 percent in 2020. Keiser is also a Florida Presidential Elector for 2024 and a delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention. Other Republican candidates include Casey Askar, David Burck, Michael Carbonara, Richard Evans, Terri Hasdorff and Michael Thompson. Democratic primary contenders are Pia Dandiya and Kaysia Earley.