Carla Spalding

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Carla Spalding

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 20, 2024

Education

Graduate

University of Phoenix, 2013

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1986 - 1991

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Nurse, Professor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Campaign TikTok

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

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Carla Spalding (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 23rd Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary on August 20, 2024.

Biography

Carla Spalding was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1991. Spalding received a master's degree from the University of Phoenix in 2013. Her professional experience includes being a registered nurse and professor of nursing. Spalding has been affiliated with the Salvation Army and Broward GOP.

Elections

2024

See also: Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2024

Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Republican primary)

Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 23

Incumbent Jared Evan Moskowitz defeated Joe Kaufman in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 23 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Evan Moskowitz (D)	52.4	196,311
		Joe Kaufman (R)	47.6	178,006

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 374,317
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jared Evan Moskowitz advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Kaufman	35.4	9,503
		Robert Weinroth	20.6	5,524
		Darlene Cerezo Swaffar	19.1	5,118
		Carla Spalding	10.6	2,844
		Joe Thelusca	7.2	1,923
		Gary Barve	7.2	1,923

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,835
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steve Chess (R)
• Rafael Ortiz (R)

Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Spalding in this election.

2022

See also: Florida's 25th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 25

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Carla Spalding in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 25 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)	55.1	129,113
		Carla Spalding (R)	44.9	105,239

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 234,352
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 25

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Robert Millwee in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 25 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz	89.0	50,554
		Robert Millwee	11.0	6,241

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,795
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Adam Gentle (D)
• Ian Medina (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 25

Carla Spalding defeated Rubin Young in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 25 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carla Spalding	71.6	16,425
		Rubin Young	28.4	6,511

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,936
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2020

Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Republican primary)

Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 23

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Carla Spalding, Jeff Olson, and D.B. Fugate in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 23 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)	58.2	221,239
		Carla Spalding (R)	41.8	158,874
		Jeff Olson (R) (Write-in)	0.0	46
		D.B. Fugate (R) (Write-in)	0.0	37

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 380,196
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Jen Perelman in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz	72.0	55,729
		Jen Perelman	28.0	21,631

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 77,360
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23

Carla Spalding defeated Michael Kroske in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carla Spalding	51.3	12,751
		Michael Kroske	48.7	12,116

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,867
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Shlomo Nizahon (R)
• Ilya Katz (R)
• Richard Mendelson (R)

2018

See also: Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 23

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeated Joe Kaufman, Tim Canova, and Don Endriss in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 23 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)	58.5	161,611
		Joe Kaufman (R)	36.0	99,446
		Tim Canova (No Party Affiliation)	5.0	13,697
		Don Endriss (No Party Affiliation)	0.6	1,612

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 276,366
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Stuart Reed (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23

Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Debbie Wasserman Schultz

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23

Joe Kaufman defeated Carlos Reyes and Carla Spalding in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Kaufman	44.7	11,659
		Carlos Reyes	33.7	8,794
		Carla Spalding	21.6	5,627

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,080
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2016

Florida's 18th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Patrick Murphy (D) chose not to seek re-election in 2016 in order to pursue a U.S. Senate bid. Brian Mast (R) defeated Randy Perkins (D), Carla Spalding (I), and write-in candidate Marilyn Holloman in the general election on November 8, 2016. Perkins defeated Jonathan Chane and John Xuna in the Democratic primary, while Mast defeated Rebecca Negron, Carl Domino, Rick Kozell, Noelle Nikpour, and Mark Freeman to win the Republican nomination. The primary elections took place on August 30, 2016.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brian Mast	53.6%	201,488
	Democratic	Randy Perkins	43.1%	161,918
	Independent	Carla Spalding	3.3%	12,503
	N/A	Write-in	0%	9
Total Votes				375,918
Source: Florida Division of Elections

U.S. House, Florida District 18 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Brian Mast	38%	24,099
Rebecca Negron	25.6%	16,242
Mark Freeman	15.8%	10,000
Carl Domino	12.5%	7,942
Rick Kozell	6.8%	4,334
Noelle Nikpour	1.3%	835
Total Votes		63,452
Source: Florida Division of Elections

U.S. House, Florida District 18 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Randy Perkins	60.4%	27,861
Jonathan Chane	32.3%	14,897
John Xuna	7.4%	3,394
Total Votes		46,152
Source: Florida Division of Elections

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carla Spalding did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Carla Spalding did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Spalding's campaign website stated the following:

“	Election Integrity Free and fair elections are the foundation upon which America has been built. We need mandatory voter identification. Ensure elections do not fall under liberal power grab to federalize election laws. Routine audits to ensure compliance. Currency-grade ballots that cannot be forged. Abolish all electronic vote-counting or tabulation machines with internet access. Jobs & Economy We must continue to cut taxes and needless regulation to encourage economic growth and help working people and their families. Biden’s plan includes 30 tax hikes that would eliminate 165,000 jobs and shrink wages by 0.8%. Border Security Finish The Wall. Stop the inflow of illegal immigrants. End Sanctuary Cities. Enforce mandatory E-Verify, including penalties. Those with work visas must pay taxes on wages earned. Immediate deportation for anyone engaging in criminal acts. ICE removal of all criminals and gang members (jail for anyone that recrosses the US border). Removal of all persons overstaying their Visa authorization. Government Spending We need to bring manufacturing back to America. Increase wages and products. More tax savings for debt paydown. Utilize our great supply of oil and gas to lower gas prices. Mining & processing our vast mineral reserves. National Defense Focus on protecting our homeland first and foremost. As a Navy veteran, ensuring that the military is trained and equipped to combat threats from enemies at home and abroad is a must. Unfortunately, the military has been undermined by political leaders who do not understand what it is like to put your life on the line to serve your country. Law & Order Support effective law enforcement. Provide resources to equip and train our men and women in blue. Eliminate government funding of Sanctuary cities. No Federal Government takeover of local law enforcement. Stop gangs, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Healthcare We need more competition to drive down the cost of healthcare. More effective treatments. Eliminate Obamacare. Minimize bureaucratic interference. Overhaul the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services. No more mandates. Freedom from restrictions. Education Right to School Choice so that children of all backgrounds have the opportunity to receive an excellent education. Empower parents to oversee the content of teaching materials absent of political indoctrination.	”
—Carla Spalding's campaign website (2022)

2020

Carla Spalding completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Spalding's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Democrat Supremacy has caused catastrophic harm and decimated many urban communities, especially the poor, minorities and our most vulnerable citizens. If Black Lives Matter isn't just their slogan to get votes, then let's give black children trapped in failing schools free private education vouchers!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Following the wisdom of "The Great Emancipator" and Republican President Abraham Lincoln: "A house divided cannot stand. Let's unite with a plan."
• Democrat Supremacy has caused catastrophic harm and decimated many urban communities, especially the poor, minorities and our most vulnerable citizens. If Black Lives Matter isn't just their slogan to get votes, then let's give black children trapped in failing schools free private education vouchers!
• It's time for 28-year career Democrat Debbie Wasserman Shultz to take a knee, atone for her "politician-privilege", and finally retire. I will see to it.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

World's #1 Healthcare. Strong military. Electoral integrity. Legal immigration. Unbiased public education. Defense of free speech, and all constitutional amendments. Liberty, peace and economic prosperity for all.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire the courage, consistency, resilience and endless energy of President Trump, and his unwavering will to succeed even when against incredible odds.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Ethics. Consistency. Strong and courageous. Integrity and always stands for the truth. Serves the needs of the people first and foremost.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity. Ethics. Compassion. Empathy. Service and sacrifice. People over politics.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To serve and protect our great country and its citizens.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To be remembered as Congresswoman that helped unite both divided parties, for the purpose of uniting our country.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Greeter at Braman Motor Cars, then joined Navy

What is your favorite book? Why?

Miracles by Stuart Wilde. It inspires people to achieve anything we try hard enough.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Mercy, Mercy.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Struggling to understand why misguided political leaders fail to stand up for our country and its citizens.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

As long as it's done FAIRLY and not segregated.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

New bills require consensus and passage by majority vote before they can become law.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The economy and national debt.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and House Committee on Small Business.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

No, should be longer to prevent instant resumption of campaigning once in office.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Need them!

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Sen Tim Scott & Dan Crenshaw

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

As a COVID-19 nurse, I had a patient call me with breathing issues. I could hear the fluid in his lungs, so I helped 911 to locate him. He was attended to by healthcare staff, which saved his life from congestive heart failure. He expressed very heartfelt gratitude to me. I will never forget this, and many others like him.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Carla Spalding campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Florida District 23	Lost primary	$742,967	$738,161
2022	U.S. House Florida District 25	Lost general	$2,002,922	$2,006,020
2020	U.S. House Florida District 23	Lost general	$947,209	$931,191
2018	U.S. House Florida District 23	Lost primary	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$3,693,098	$3,675,371
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Florida District 23

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Footnotes

[show]

Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Marco Rubio (R)

Rick Scott (R)

Representatives

District 1

Vacant

District 2

Neal Dunn (R)

District 3

Kat Cammack (R)

District 4

Aaron Bean (R)

District 5

John Rutherford (R)

District 6

Michael Waltz (R)

District 7

Cory Mills (R)

District 8

Bill Posey (R)

District 9

Darren Soto (D)

District 10

Maxwell Frost (D)

District 11

Daniel Webster (R)

District 12

Gus Bilirakis (R)

District 13

Anna Luna (R)

District 14

Kathy Castor (D)

District 15

Laurel Lee (R)

District 16

Vern Buchanan (R)

District 17

Greg Steube (R)

District 18

Scott Franklin (R)

District 19

Byron Donalds (R)

District 20

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)

District 21

Brian Mast (R)

District 22

Lois Frankel (D)

District 23

Jared Moskowitz (D)

District 24

Frederica Wilson (D)

District 25

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)

District 26

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

District 27

Maria Elvira Salazar (R)

District 28

Carlos Gimenez (R)

Republican Party (21)

Democratic Party (8)

Vacancies (1)