Neal Dunn


Neal Patrick Dunn is an American surgeon and Republican Party politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017.

Early life and career

Dunn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1953. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary sciences from Washington and Lee University, and a Doctor of Medicine from the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He completed his medical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dunn served in the United States Army for 11 years of active duty, reaching the rank of major. He then settled in Panama City, Florida, where he helped found the Panama City Urological Center and the Panama City Surgery Center, and was the founding chairman of Summit Bank.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2016

In August 2015, Dunn announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for in the 2016 elections. The district's one-term incumbent, Democrat Gwen Graham, opted to retire after court-ordered redistricting made the district heavily Republican. He won the Republican nomination, narrowly defeating attorneys Mary Thomas and Ken Sukhia, and defeated Walter Dartland in the general election. He was sworn in on January 3, 2017.

2018

In 2018, Dunn won reelection against challenger Bob Rackleff, 67.4% to 32.6%.

2020

Constituents voiced frustration with Dunn for his refusal to host town halls. Dunn held multiple virtual town hall meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
Dunn was reelected in 2020 with 97.9% of the vote in 2020. He had no primary election or official general election opponents.

2022

In 2022, Dunn defeated U.S. Representative Al Lawson with 59.8% of the vote. The boundaries of the district had been redrawn as determined by the 2020 Florida redistricting cycle.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:
Dunn's campaign website identifies him as conservative.

Gun policy

He opposes a ban of semi-automatic weapons. From 2015 to 2016, Dunn accepted $1,000 from the NRA-PVF.

Net neutrality

Along with 107 Republican members of Congress, Dunn sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai a letter on December 13, 2017, supporting his plan to repeal net neutrality protections ahead of the commission's vote. Dunn accepted $18,500 from the telecom industry before voting to repeal the rule.

Tax reform

Dunn voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, calling the bill "good medicine for America". He believes it will benefit many generations of Americans with a "great economy in which there will be jobs, there will be opportunity, there's possibilities for literally a whole new generation or two of Americans". Dunn says he has received support from "mostly small businessmen" in his district for supporting the bill.

Education

Dunn supports defunding the Department of Education.

Healthcare

Dunn supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says is "failing", saying "no one can afford" the premiums and deductibles.

2021 storming of the Capitol

After the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Dunn condemned the rioters, but still voted to object to the certification of several states' electoral votes.

Israel

Dunn voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Veterans

Dunn voted against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service.

Personal life

Dunn and his wife, Leah, have three sons and three grandsons. On April 9, 2020, Dunn's office announced that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Electoral history