H. Rpt. 119-51 addresses "Dismissing the Election Contest Relating to the Office of Representative From the Fourteenth Congressional District of Florida". It was prepared by the Committee on House Administration as part of the committee's legislative and oversight work. Committee reports are among the most important primary sources in the legislative process. They explain what legislation does, why the committee believes it is necessary, what amendments were adopted, how much it costs, and what the committee's majority and minority members think. Courts and agencies refer to these reports for decades after enactment when interpreting how laws should be applied.
Official report text. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
House Report 119-51 - DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
[House Report 119-51]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-51
======================================================================
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
_______
April 9, 2025.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Steil, from the Committee on House Administration,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. Res. 308]
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest relating to the office of Representative from the
Fourteenth Congressional District of Florida, report the same
to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be
agreed to.
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest in the Fourteenth District of Florida, report the same
to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be
agreed to.
COMMITTEE ACTION
On March 11, 2025, by voice vote, a quorum being present,
the Committee agreed to a motion to report the resolution
favorably to the House.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1), the
Committee states that the findings and recommendations of the
Committee, based on oversight activities under House rule X,
clause 2(b)(1), are incorporated into the general discussion
section of this report.
STATEMENT OF BUDGET AUTHORITY AND RELATED ITEMS
The resolution does not provide new budget authority, new
spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or
decrease in revenues or tax expenditures and a statement under
House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2) and section 308(a)(1) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is not required.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3), the
Committee states, with respect to H. Res. 308, that the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office did not submit a
cost estimate and comparison under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
On November 17, 2024, Dr. Neelam Taneja Perry
(``Contestant'') filed a Notice of Contest with the Clerk of
the House of Representatives pursuant to the Federal Contested
Elections Act (FCEA).\1\ Contestant ran as a candidate in the
August 20, 2024, closed Republican primary election for the
office of Representative to the United States Congress
representing the Fourteenth Congressional District of the State
of Florida. Contestant finished in fourth place in the primary
election, with 1,594 votes.\2\ Robert Rochford received 15,575
votes and advanced to the general election as the Republican
candidate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\2 U.S.C. Sec. 381-96.
\2\See Florida's 14th Congressional District, Ballotpedia (last
accessed Mar. 11, 2025), available at https://ballotpedia.org/
Florida%27s_14th_Congressional_District.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BASIS OF CONTEST
In her Notice of Contest, Contestant asserts that
irregularities and alleged misconduct took place during the
Republican primary election and the general election for the
Fourteenth District of Florida and, because these
irregularities and misconduct occurred, the election results
should thereby be invalidated. Contestant alleges election
fraud, misconduct and procedural violations, corruption and
abuse of authority, and conspiracy by officials in both the
Republican and Democratic parties took place. Contestant is
asking that the House disqualify Kathy Castor, the winner of
the general election for the Fourteenth District of Florida,
order a review to determine whether election law violations
occurred, and nominate Contestant for the congressional seat.
STANDING
To have standing under the FCEA, a contestant must have
been a candidate for election to the House of Representatives
in the last preceding election and claim a right to the
contested seat.\3\ FCEA also states that the House of
Representatives has jurisdiction over official general and
special elections, excluding a primary election, or a caucus or
convention of a political party. Since Contestant was a
candidate in the primary election for the Fourteenth
Congressional District of Florida, and not a candidate in the
general election, Contestant therefore lacks standing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\2 U.S.C. Sec. 382(a).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIMING/NOTICE
The Notice of Contest was filed with the Clerk of the House
of Representatives on November 17, 2024. However, the timing of
Contestant's filing is not relevant to the determination of
this claim, because Contestant lacks standing.
ANALYSIS
Under FCEA, the House of Representatives has jurisdiction
over official general and special elections, but ``election''
does not include a primary election, or a caucus or convention
of a political party.\4\ Contestant filed as a candidate in
Florida for federal office with Republican party
affiliation.\5\ Contestant was a qualified candidate in the
primary election for the Fourteenth Congressional District of
Florida, who lost and was therefore not a candidate in the
general election.\6\ The Committee finds that this claim must
be dismissed due to lack of standing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\2 U.S.C. Sec. 381(a).
\5\See Campaign Documents Search, Division of Election, Florida
Dep't of State (last accessed Mar. 11, 2025), available at https://
dos.elections.myflorida.com/campaign-docs/?account=84242.
\6\See Candidate Listing for 2024 General Election, Division of
Elections, Florida Dep't of State (last accessed Mar. 11, 2025)
(showing that candidate Neelam Taneja Perry was ``Eliminated'' in the
primary election), available at https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/
candidates/CanList.asp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, the Committee therefore
concludes that this contest should be dismissed.
[all]