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Today, Americans for Tax Reform calls on Congressional candidate, State Rep. Lake Ray, to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to his constituents. The Pledge is a written commitment to the voters to oppose higher taxes. It’s time for Ray to prove his commitment to defending taxpayers and standing up to special-interests in Washington, D.C.

The Taxpayer Protection Pledge has been offered to every candidate running for federal office since 1986. In the 114th Congress, 220 Congressmen and 48 Senators have signed the Pledge, including Rep. Ander Crenshaw (Fla-04).

Politicians often run for office saying they won’t raise taxes, but then quickly turn their backs on the taxpayer. The idea of the Pledge is simple enough: Make them put their no-new-taxes rhetoric in writing. The last thing the taxpayers of Florida need is a career politician open to raising taxes, especially after President Obama saddled them with 20 new or higher taxes through Obamacare, with seven hitting the middle class.

Three of Mr. Ray’s opponents, Sheriff John Rutherford, Hans Tanzler, and Deborah Pueschel have taken the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, and made the promise to the hardworking families of Florida’s fourth district to not raise taxes.

“The voters in Florida have a right to know where a candidate stands on the issues before electing them to Congress. Ray’s refusal to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge puts him outside the mainstream of the Republican Party. Eighty-nine percent of all congressional Republicans have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He would be one of a small group of Republicans open to raising taxes,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “The only reason Ray wouldn’t sign the Pledge is if he intends to raise taxes.”

Voters should keep this in mind as they head to the polls in Florida, next Tuesday, August 30.