Robert People seeks Florida's 15th District seat

Army veteran Robert People, a Democrat, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 15th Congressional District. He faces Republican Laurel Lee in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

People says his 21 years of Army service motivate his campaign. He states on his campaign Facebook page that after serving the country, he is not done serving and wants to be part of the solution. The Wesley Chapel Record profiled Lee on Oct. 21.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: U.S. House, Florida 15th Congressional District
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland (1979)
Education: High school diploma, Parkville High School (1997)

Experience and public service

People served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2018 as an ammunitions specialist and journalist, according to his campaign website. He says he grew up in Baltimore's inner city, the second of four children raised by a single mother in poverty.

After leaving the military, People worked as a proposal writer and coordinator at The RFP Success Company from 2023 to 2024, according to BallotReady profile data. He then served as a senior enterprise proposal writer at iQor from 2024 to 2025.

On the issues

The following positions come from People's campaign website and BallotReady responses. All are the candidate's own stated positions.

Government reform: People says he will propose legislation to amend or repeal what he calls the "Big Ugly Bill," which he says was passed July 3, 2025, and signed July 4, 2025. He claims the law will cause millions to lose healthcare coverage and SNAP benefits and will raise the national debt by nearly $3.5 trillion. He also supports banning congressional stock trading.

Healthcare and social services: People supports Medicare for All. He says he would restore USDA funding for food banks and work to remove bureaucratic barriers to food assistance. He also proposes raising the Social Security tax cap.

Environment and energy: People says he would restore EPA standards, end fossil fuel subsidies, support clean energy investments in wind, solar and battery storage, and push for a 100% clean energy grid by 2040. He also supports a moratorium on data centers and preserving Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery programs.

Immigration: People says he supports a clearer path to citizenship so immigrants doing the right thing do not have to wait years. He says immigrants deserve adequate due process under the Constitution.

Education: People says he will fight for free school breakfasts and lunches for all children and proposes child tax credits to cover school meals. He also supports increasing teacher salaries.