Neal Dunn
American surgeon and politician (born 1953)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neal Patrick Dunn (born February 16, 1953) is an American surgeon and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Dunn is a medical doctor who served in the United States Army for eleven years, reaching the rank of major.
February 16, 1953
Neal Dunn | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Gwen Graham (redistricted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Neal Patrick Dunn February 16, 1953 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Leah Dunn (m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Washington and Lee University (BS) George Washington University (MD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1979–1990 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Army Medical Corps |
On January 13, 2026, Dunn announced he would not seek re-election in 2026. It was later revealed on March 16, 2026 that this was likely due to a terminal illness, with President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson publicly confirming that he has a terminal heart condition and would have likely passed away by June of 2026 if he hadn't had emergency surgery that gave him a fresh start.[1]
Early life and career
Dunn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1953.[2][3] He earned a Bachelor of Science 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.[4] 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.[5]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2016
In August 2015, Dunn announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 2nd congressional district 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.[5][6][7] He won the Republican nomination, narrowly defeating attorneys Mary Thomas and Ken Sukhia,[8] and defeated Walter Dartland in the general election.[9] He was sworn in on January 3, 2017.[10]
2018
In 2018, Dunn won reelection against challenger Bob Rackleff, 67.4% to 32.6%.[11]
2020
Constituents voiced frustration with Dunn for his refusal to host town halls.[12] Dunn held multiple virtual town hall meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.[13]
Dunn was reelected in 2020 with 97.9% of the vote. He had no primary election or official general election opponents.[14]
2022
In 2022, Dunn defeated U.S. Representative Al Lawson with 59.8% of the vote.[15] The boundaries of the district had been redrawn as determined by the 2020 Florida redistricting cycle.
2024
Dunn won re-election to a fifth term with 61.64% of the vote against Yen Bailey.[16]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[17]
Caucus memberships
- House Border Security Caucus
- Conservative Climate Caucus
- Wildfire Caucus
- Congressional French Caucus
- House Army Caucus
- Friends of Belgium Caucus
- Bulgaria Caucus
- Congressional Wine Caucus
- Healthcare Innovation Caucus[18]
- Republican Study Committee[19]
Political positions
Dunn's campaign website identifies him as conservative.
Gun policy
He opposes a ban on semi-automatic weapons.[20] From 2015 to 2016, Dunn accepted $1,000 from the NRA-PVF.[21]
Net neutrality
Along with 107 Republican members of Congress, Dunn sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on December 13, 2017, supporting his plan to repeal net neutrality protections ahead of the commission's vote.[22] Dunn accepted $18,500 from the telecom industry before voting to repeal the rule.[23]
Tax reform
Dunn voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,[24] calling the bill "good medicine for America".[25] 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.[26]
Education
Dunn supports defunding the Department of Education.[27]
Healthcare
Dunn supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says is "failing", saying "no one can afford" the premiums and deductibles.[28]
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.[29][30]
Israel
Dunn voted to provide Israel with support following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel.[31][32]
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.[33]
Personal life
Dunn and his wife, Leah, have three sons and three grandsons.[7] He announced on January 13, 2026, that he would retire from Congress rather than seek another term in 2026. It was reported the following month that the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson told Republican donors that Dunn might have been terminally ill.[34][35] On March 16, 2026, during a broadcast board meeting of the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump shared private details of Dunn's condition, which he revealed was a heart problem. President Trump disclosed that because he needed his vote, the White House Medical Unit had gone to see Dunn and that "he was on the operating table, like, two hours later."[36] Trump also disclosed that Dunn "would be dead by June," to which Johnson responded, "Okay, that wasn't public."[37]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn | 33,886 | 41.4 | |
| Republican | Mary Thomas | 32,178 | 39.3 | |
| Republican | Ken Sukhia | 15,826 | 19.3 | |
| Total votes | 81,890 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn | 231,163 | 67.3 | |
| Democratic | Walter Dartland | 102,801 | 29.9 | |
| Libertarian | Rob Lapham | 9,395 | 2.7 | |
| Write-in votes | Antoine Edward Roberts | 3 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 343,362 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 199,335 | 67.4 | |
| Democratic | Bob Rackleff | 96,233 | 32.6 | |
| Total votes | 295,568 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 305,337 | 97.9 | |
| Write-in votes | Kim O'Connor | 6,662 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 311,999 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 180,236 | 59.8 | |
| Democratic | Alfred Lawson (incumbent) | 121,153 | 40.2 | |
| Total votes | 301,389 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 69,113 | 82.7 | |
| Republican | Rhonda Woodward | 14,456 | 17.3 | |
| Total votes | 83,569 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Neal Dunn (incumbent) | 247,685 | 61.7 | |
| Democratic | Yen Bailey | 154,010 | 38.3 | |
| Total votes | 401,695 | 100.0 | ||