Today, entrepreneur Bruce O’Donoghue signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his bid to challenge incumbent Rep. Alan Grayson (D) in Florida’s Eighth Congressional District. O’Donoghue joins 2008 candidate Todd Long and State Rep. Kurt Kelly as the only other Pledge signer in the Republican primary. According to Politics 1, there are 8 other candidates currently seeking the GOP nomination. These candidates have yet to sign the Pledge. ATR continues to reach out to these candidates and hopes to hear from them shortly.

Both Cook Political Report and CQ Politics rank this race as a “Toss Up.” Grayson defeated former four term Republican Congressman Ric Keller in 2008 with 52% of the vote.
 
To see ATR’s official statement on O’Donoghue signing the Pledge, click “read more.”
 
Bruce O’Donoghue (R-Fla.) signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Congressional candidate promises to protect taxpayers’ wallets
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bruce O’Donoghue, a Republican running in Florida’s 8th Congressional district, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
 
ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 34 U.S. senators and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge.
 
“After the passage of the so-called “Stimulus Package,” better known as the Pelosi-Obama-Reid Spending Give-Away, Americans are desperately searching for candidates and politicians that will protect their livelihoods and put their wallets ahead of the federal government’s coffers,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.
 
“By signing the Pledge, Bruce O’Donoghue demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers in Florida’s 8th Congressional district.”
 
“I challenge all candidates for federal office to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.