Democrat Michael K. van Hoek of Valrico is running to unseat Republican Gus Bilirakis in Hillsborough/Pasco/Pinellas Congressional District 9. He joins Democratic lawyer Bill Mitchell of Tampa. From the release: “For far too long, we seem to have moved away from the notion that the House of Representatives is indeed the ‘People’s House,’” said van Hoek, an active member of the East Hillsborough Democratic Club and the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee . “I feel that it’s time for regular, everyday people to start getting involved in our government at the national level. For many working folks in our District, the U.S. House is nothing more than a group of politicians who have nothing in common with us. Even the language they speak is foreign to many of us. It’s time for Congress to more accurately reflect the voice of the people it represents.”

Citing a lifetime of public service which includes serving the community as a Paramedic, Community College Instructor, Boy Scout leader, and teacher in a high school dropout prevention  program, van Hoek stated that he is ready to take public service to the next level.  “When I was a Paramedic responding to 911 calls, the patient in front of me was the most important issue of my life while in my care,” he said. “As a Congressman, the most important thing for me, and for my staff, will be the needs and concerns of my constituents – each and every one of them, each and every moment of my tenure.”