My Story
Meet Joe Kaufman: A Proven Fighter for National Security and Freedom
Joe Kaufman, Republican Nominee for U.S. Congress (Florida District 23), has spent his life dedicated to protecting America and its allies from threats both foreign and domestic. With a deep background in counter-terrorism, Joe has been instrumental in shutting down terrorist-linked charities and bringing individuals tied to terrorism to justice. As a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and Chairman of the Joe Kaufman Security Initiative, he has assisted key agencies like Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Defense, and the Secret Service to combat those who seek to harm the nation.
Joe’s leadership extends to recent victories in preventing extremist events from taking place. In January, he successfully led efforts to shut down a pro-Hamas conference that was to be held in Coral Springs, Florida. The following month, Joe forced Congresswoman Summer Lee, a member of ‘The Squad,’ to cancel her address at the Hamas-linked CAIR annual conference in Philadelphia. Joe has also provided critical intelligence to the state of Florida, leading to action against a radical imam, who called for an annihilation of Jews, and the imam’s taxpayer-funded private school in Miami.
Joe’s fight against terrorism goes beyond America’s borders. For well over a decade, Joe has had involvement with the opposition to the Ayatollah regime in Iran. His commitment to this cause has earned him endorsements from major figures in the movement, including John Qmars Naimi, President of the global opposition group Cyrus Force, and Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Iran. Prince Pahlavi praised Joe for his dedication to freeing the Iranian people, expressing optimism that with Joe in Congress, “the dream of a free and democratic Iran” can become a reality.
Joe’s passion for freedom also extends to Venezuela, where he and his wife, Emily, have extended family. In May 2014, Joe and Emily participated in the ‘Trip for Freedom’ to Washington, D.C., along with 1,000 Venezuelan Americans. Joe spoke to attendees outside the Organization of American States (OAS), calling for the imprisonment of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Joe’s campaign has been endorsed by Ernesto Ackerman, President of Independent Venezuelan American Citizens (IVAC), a prominent South Florida Venezuelan advocacy group. Previously, Joe was endorsed by former Ambassador to OAS Roger Noriega and has written for Noriega’s publication, InterAmerican Security Watch.
Joe has as well been involved with the Gabriel Policy Institute, an advocacy group for Jamaica comprised of current and former Jamaican law enforcement and security officials. Joe was instrumental in helping to craft a manual, parts of which were implemented by the Jamaican government, to reduce corruption and crime in Jamaica and the greater Caribbean. Joe’s campaign has been endorsed by David Brown, the founder of the Gabriel Policy Institute.
Born in Detroit and raised in Yonkers, New York, Joe was introduced to politics by his late grandmother Ruth, who took him door-to-door campaigning for Ronald Reagan at just 10 years old. He later attended the University of Maryland, where a shocking act of anti-Semitism by his freshman roommate, who placed a swastika on their dorm room wall, galvanized Joe’s lifelong commitment to defending the Jewish people. After graduating, Joe moved to Florida to care for his grandmother, who suffered from COPD, a severe breathing condition that kept her in and out of the hospital and rehab.
Today, Joe is married to Emily, a Spanish and Hebrew teacher originally from Peru, and together they are raising their 11-year-old daughter Ruth, named after Joe’s beloved grandmother.
As a Congressman, Joe will fight to end inflation, protect our borders, promote educational initiatives like school choice and vocational training, defend Israel, protect senior benefits, lower healthcare costs, and help the homeless. Joe Kaufman is ready to bring his passion for security and justice to Washington and make a real difference for Florida’s 23rd District.