Laura Loomer, the only Republican congressional candidate who was banned from every major social media platform while running in 2020 (as well as PayPal, GoFundMe, and a number of other online services), has filed to run again in 2022.
Loomer will once again contest Florida’s blue-leaning 21st congressional district, currently held by Democrat Lois Frankel.
The Republican is making the issue of Big Tech a central pillar of her campaign. In her press release announcing the run, Loomer emphasized the difficulties of contesting elections while remaining banned from every major platform.
“I have been patient zero in Big-Tech’s plot to silence and censor conservative voices and interfere in our elections,” said Loomer.
“Candidates have come to depend on social media to efficiently and effectively get their messages to voters, fundraise, advertise, and participate in public discourse.”
“I know firsthand of the dangers this poses to personal liberty, our constitutional right to free speech, free and fair elections, and the concept of sovereign nations.”
Loomer has called for criminal charges against the tech giants, accusing them of election interference that “violates the bedrock of our democracy.”
The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has pledged to approve some of the aggressive protections against Big Tech censorship seen in America during this legislative session.
In a major announcement last month, DeSantis promised to introduce laws mandating opt-outs from Big Tech’s content filters for Florida citizens.
He also pledged specific protections for political candidates, with fines of $100,000 per day on platforms that ban candidates for elected office in Florida.
While the details of this legislation have yet to be released, such a protection could potentially apply to Loomer, if she wins the Republican nomination for her district in 2022.
Should he choose to run for office again, it could also apply to former President Donald Trump, who was banned from most major platforms in January, sparking global outrage over Big Tech’s unchecked power.
However, this will depend on a key detail — whether Florida’s legislation mandates the restoration of platform access to previously-banned candidates, or if it merely protects candidates from future blacklisting.
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