Acosta is the antidote to Loomer’s hatred

If you have never heard of Laura Loomer, good. May this time be the last.

She is one of six candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in District 21. She is the best-financed, which is a testament to the pulling power of bigotry and conspiracy theories.

Those vices have been paved her path to infamy. Her hate speech against Muslims has gotten her banned from most social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Medium, Pay Pal, Venmo, GoFundMe, Uber and Lyft. Chase Bank dropped her, too.

She calls Islam “a cancer on society.” Her nomination would be a cancer on the Republican Party.

There is a credible opponent whom Republicans would be wise to nominate.

He is Christian Acosta, 37, of Boynton Beach. He’s the most promising of the five and appears to be the most reasonable. Democrat Lois Frankel, the incumbent, has one opponent in her party primary.

Acosta was the only Republican who returned our questionnaire or agreed to an interview. You can access the document and the video on sunsentinel.com/endorsements.

He’s an associate professor of engineering at Palm Beach State College, where he started as an adjunct two and a half years ago. Previously, he was a project engineer for a railroad signaling company in Pittsburgh and for Westinghouse Electric Company.

Having not held any public office, he says he’s running because “I love Palm Beach County and want to give back” to what he calls a “diverse and vibrant and exceptional” district. The Republican Party’s power brokers appear to have written off the district as unwinnable. It would behoove them to think about Loomer’s potential to add disgrace to defeat.

At only 26, Loomer has already had a career spreading conspiracy theories and practicing what she calls “guerilla style journalism” against mostly Democratic victims. She went after former FBI director James Comey as well, and is gung-ho for President Trump.

Unlike many other Republicans, Acosta is concerned about the potential abuse of presidential power although he asserts that Trump has not crossed the line. (We disagree).

“The main problem I have with Congress,” he says, “is that they are able to, and seemingly willing to, divest their own power to a president or to a government agency. That defeats the purpose of separation of powers.”

He is a conventional Republican in regard to tax cuts, gun control, abortion, reducing overseas military spending, and withdrawal from multi-national agreements “that artificially bind our hands and don’t deliver,” citing the Paris Climate Accord.

His top three priorities are to restore the economy and employment, fix “the education achievement gap that leads to cyclic poverty,” and lowering the cost of health care and pharmaceuticals “without sacrificing choice or service quality.” He is open to “either reforming or replacing” the Affordable Care Act. He supports the plan’s subsidies for lowincome people and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions. He favors legal status for Venezuelan refugees and U.S. sanctions against the dictator.

Born in the U.K. where his Puerto Rican father was in the Air Force, Weiss lived in Spain and New Jersey, and went to college at the University of Florida. His mother was born in Argentina. Unlike many Republicans, he favors statehood for Puerto Rico.

He wears an Israeli flag pin alongside the American flag, and professes uncritical support for “whatever the Israeli people decide,” even if it were to be the annexation, illegal under international law, of Palestinian lands in the West Bank. He sees “no need for a two-state solution,” which counters decades of policy under previous Republican administrations as well as Democratic ones.

His biggest difference with Loomer, he told us, “is right in front of you. She’s not here. Laura Loomer does not want to engage with anyone who has an even slightly different opinion. She has unacceptable views on religious liberty in this country. What she said about Muslims is unacceptable.” His candidate questionnaire and interview are on line at sunsentinel.com/endorsements.

Regrettably, he had raised only $80,460 by March 31, compared to Loomer’s $556,749. She seems to be spending most of hers on fund-raising. The other four Republicans are also in five figures.

Elizabeth Felton appears to be running primarily against regulations.

Aaron Scanlan is a former hostage negotiator for the Jupiter Police Department and offers a conventional Republican platform.

Reba Sherill’s website reveals her to be opposed to vaccinations — hardly a qualification for public office amidst a worldwide lethal pandemic. She promotes the totally discredited theory that vaccines cause autism.

Michael Vilardi, a former criminal investigator for the IRS, is a tax consultant who touts the fake remedy of term limits, but has a thin platform overall. From what we know, we could not recommend any of them, but we encourage you to consult their campaign websites.

Acosta