Independent FL 3 Congress Candidate Speaks with Former Congressman Kucinich at Gainesville Hippodrome
On Thursday, September 24, the College Independents student organization hosted Independent U.S. Congressional Candidate Mike Klein to speak with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich at the Hippodrome.
Klein is running for Florida’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Klein has never run for political office before but believes he can get elected by challenging the two-party status quo and garnering support from disgruntled Republicans and Democrats. “Disgruntled Democrats, NPAs, and disgruntled Republicans are well more than 50% of the voters,” he told GnvInfo in an interview. "We've certainly seen that as we've traveled around the district and talked to people for many, many months now… Literally everywhere we go, people are really happy to see me.”
College Independents President Olivia Sayani said that she aligns with some of Klein’s policies but clarified their organization doesn’t endorse any candidates.
Klein said he worked as a campaign manager with Kucinich during the former congressman’s 2007 presidential campaign.
Klein said he knew the U.S. government’s claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was a lie and that he was impressed with Kucinich’s position against the war in Congress.
Kucinich said that there was no proof Iraq had anything to do with the September 11 attacks. “It was all a lie,” he said. “A lie that cost this country the lives of over 5,000 dedicated men and women who serve; a lie that cost this country trillions of dollars and a war which resulted in the deaths of about one million innocent Iraqis… America did not learn from the lesson of Vietnam… We did not learn from the lesson of Iraq. We didn’t learn from Libya; another war that I led the effort to try and block…”
Kucinich said the idea that Iran would try to attack the U.S. with a nuclear weapon is a lie that President Donald Trump keeps repeating.
Kucinich praised Congressman Thomas Massey for introducing legislation to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for illegal military actions.
Kucinich said that many congresspeople want to act like they’re against the U.S. war in Iran but won’t vote to cut off the funds for it. Kucinich encouraged attendees to contact representatives and urge them to vote to impeach Hegseth.
Someone asked Kucinich how Congresswoman Cammack fits into the subject, and Kucinich said he didn’t want to talk about other candidates and that he was only present to support Klein.
Kucinich said the Trump Administration “has not only failed to enforce international law, they’ve gone after the international criminal court… They sanctioned people who have criticized the genocide. They’ve been going after judges…”
Kucinich went on to say that “people who are into a predatory type of zionism” are included in interest groups profiteering from war.
“There’s a whole list of people—corporations that are making money off the genocide,” Kucinich said.
Klein said he’s been asked many times why he’s running. He said it’s because “it’s in fact the corruption that prevents us from getting to public policy…”
Kucinich said the Supreme Court’s decisions in cases Citizens United V. FEC and Buckley V. Valeo permanently changed U.S. politics by upholding monetary corporate interests in elections. “Once Democrats and Republicans start getting money from the same interest groups, there’s no difference between the two parties,” he said.
Kucinich condemned the United States-Israel Military Technology Corporation Initiative, which he called a U.S.—Israel military merger. The initiative is outlined in Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. Supporters say it strengthens preexisting mutual corporation by outlining a process for coordinating military technology, while many in dissent say it merges the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
Kucinich added that he still frequents the congressional halls and dozens upon dozens of elected officials have a sign outside their office stating they “stand with Israel.”
Kucinich went on to say, “We’ve gotta be concerned for ourselves and our families… We’ve gotta be concerned for the people of Iran too… That’s an advanced civilization; these people are well educated… The president talking about blowing em’ up… It’s a war crime just to do that.”
An attendee asked Klein how he’d “distinguish himself from the Democratic candidate” and his “analysis” of his path to victory.
“Thanks for the softballs,” Klein joked.
Klein said he’s been told Harp is a nice guy but that he has “no chance to win” and that was his “analysis” before he entered the election.
Klein criticized Cammack for presiding over the chamber during the passing of Section 219. Klein brought up her fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago and questioned how many of her donors are in the Epstein files.
Klein said he’s met lots of disgruntled Democrats but has met more disgruntled Republicans. Klein went on to say that some disgruntled Republicans said they’d vote for Cammack if he was not on the ballot after spending ten minutes talking about their problems with Cammack.
“I’m not voting for a damn Democrat,” Klein described disgruntled Republican voters telling him.
“Here lies Seth’s problem: He’s not gonna get any Republican votes,” said Klein. “The polarization is real. Somebody with my background——there’s 95 veterans running as independents for Congress around the United States right now. I’m not saying that they’re the only ones who can do this but… I have the ability with my background, I’m a business guy… combat veteran, West Point graduate; I’m from here… Culturally speaking, I can make a connection with people all over the district. Seth is struggling with that. I don’t mean him ill…”
Klein said he doesn’t think Harp has much experience but that he could become “a very experienced person in the future…”
“I have nothing negative to say about Seth or Kat as individuals; I don’t do that,” said Klein. “But I don’t think [Seth Harp] has any chance of winning at all; none.”
Klein went on to say, “The goal is not to win a majority [of independents] in Congress. The goal is to have neither the Democratic or the Republican Party to actually have a majority…” Klein cited the low majority Republicans retain and said, “If there were six people like me… saying, ‘Nope not passing it…’” arguing there doesn’t need to be dozens of independents to shake up votes for the better.
Klein said, “In this particular cycle, we’re trying to get five to ten in… Damn I hope I’m one of those folks cause I’d like to be up in Washington working for you and causing good trouble like my colleague here Dennis, who showed me exactly how it’s done.”
Clip from Speaking Event (GnvInfo)
