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About this candidate response
DutyStation contacts candidates to ask whether and how they support service members, military families and veterans, and invites them to share their thoughts and priorities. We share their replies here in the candidate’s or campaign’s own words, with minor formatting for readability and correction of obvious spelling mistakes.
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Government-shutdown follow-up from Gay Valimont, received October 1, 2026.
Government shutdown and protecting military families
- I oppose a government shutdown. I would work across party lines and with the administration to keep the government open, focusing on solutions rather than political gridlock.
- If a shutdown occurred, I would fight to protect timely pay for service members, support military families, and ensure veterans continue receiving their earned benefits and access to VA healthcare.
Earlier answers from the Gay Valimont Campaign Team, received September 28, 2026. The campaign’s original wording is retained below.
Military families and veterans
- Military families and veterans are central to the community Gay Valimont hopes to represent in Congress. Northwest Florida has a deep military identity, and Gay believes those who serve, those who have served, and their families deserve reliable access to healthcare, benefits, housing, childcare, education, and other essential services.
Veterans’ care
- On veterans’ care, Gay’s campaign has made delivering a full-service VA hospital in Northwest Florida a specific priority. She also supports fully funding the VA and reducing the claims backlog so veterans can receive the benefits and healthcare they have earned without unnecessary delays. Expanding access to care locally is particularly important for veterans who currently face long waits or significant travel for specialized services. Our campaign has also called for expanded TRICARE coverage and protecting VA benefits.
Childcare, spouse employment and schools
- For military families, Gay supports expanding childcare, strengthening training and employment opportunities for military spouses and family members, and investing in infrastructure around military installations. She also supports protecting federal funding for schools serving military-connected children, recognizing the disruption that frequent moves can create for students and families.
Quality of life
- On quality of life, Gay approaches these issues through the broader goal of making healthcare and everyday life more affordable and accessible. Her professional background in healthcare and her own experience navigating serious illness and the healthcare system have informed her focus on access, affordability, and ensuring that people can obtain care without facing unnecessary financial barriers.
Early priorities
- If elected, Gay would make improving veterans’ healthcare access and delivering the full-service VA hospital a particularly important early priority, while also working to strengthen the support systems surrounding military families, including childcare, schools, spouse employment and infrastructure.
ELECTION REFLECTIONS · IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Looking ahead to Election Day
Brief answers to DutyStation’s questions about hope, America’s future, unity, the next generation and a closing message. The earlier policy answers and their received date remain above.
Hope heading into the election
- What gives me hope is the resilience of the people of Northwest Florida. I see families working hard, neighbors supporting one another, and people who still believe we can build a better future together. I believe that by listening to our communities and focusing on the issues that matter most, we can make a real difference.
Vision for America
- Compassion. Opportunity. Unity.
Bringing Americans together
- I believe we should come together around the things we all care about: our families, our communities, affordable healthcare, economic security, and a better future for our children. We may not always agree, but we all deserve leaders who listen, act with integrity, and put people first.
The next generation
- I hope the next generation inherits a country where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, families can afford the care they need, veterans receive the support they deserve, and people treat one another with compassion and respect. I want our children to inherit a future filled with hope, opportunity, and the belief that they can make a difference.
Closing message to voters
- My message to voters is simple: You deserve a representative who listens, cares, and fights for the needs of our communities. I am running for Congress because I believe Northwest Florida deserves leadership focused on lowering insurance costs, expanding healthcare access, and delivering the full-service VA hospital our veterans need. Together, we can build a future rooted in compassion, integrity, and unity. I ask you to make your voice heard and stay engaged in the future of our community.