Tom Vail
Republican | Florida
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, JD, 1993-1996
Strayer University, Washington, DC, MS, MBA, 1989-1993
WORK & MILITARY
US Army National Guard, SGT E5, 1979-1987
AFFILIATIONS
Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, State Chairman, 2025-2026
Black Robed Regiment of Florida, Director, 2026-2026
All Pro Pastors International, Ambassador, 2025-2026
Defending Life Alliance, Board of Directors, 2024-2026
Lake County Republican Executive Committee, Precinct Committeeman, 2019-2026
Lake County Prayer Breakfast, Treasurer, 2026-2026
Florida for Life PC, Chairman, 2025-2026
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Treasurer, Lake County Republican Party, 2020-2022
Vice Chair, Lake County Republican Party, 2022-2024
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Florida State House District 25, 2022-2022
Lake County Supervisor of Elections, 2024-2024
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
Marshall Clayton Rawson (2025)
Citizens Awake Now (2024)
Michael Levine (2023)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (3)
Keith Farner (2022)
Laura Loomer (2022)
Michael Levine (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Florida Family Action 2026 Primary Election Voter Guide.
Candidate interview. Pro-Life Radio Podcast. 22 Feb 2026. 51 min.
Candidate interview. Pro-Life Radio Podcast. 15 Dec 2025. 50 min.
Candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Never
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The REAL minimum wage is $0.00. Minimum wage puts undue burden on employers. Minimum wage prevents young people from gaining work experience. Promoting vocational education and instilling a productive work ethic will benefit more.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
Look for fraud in government paid "service" programs Look for fraud in recipients of government subsidies Eliminate any subsidy payments to non-citizens Eliminate unnecessary and unproductive "study" and consulting contracts
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Government does not determine rules for worship, including NOT restricting meetings.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
I do not favor ANY government subsidies for individual needs. However, I DO NOT support abolishing government paid medical care for individuals with limited financial resources. I support programs leading to self-sufficiency rather than dependency.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Disagree
I oppose ALL government tracking of individual, personal information.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
The greatest current threat from China is that they control a huge percentage of manufacturing and shipping. This is a strategic danger to the US and to other countries.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
The US must maintain its sovereignty. The US was formed as a Christian Nation. Christianity is based on Judaism. Judaism is based in Israel, Jerusalem, in particular. Israel is the protector of Jerusalem. The spread of Islam is the greatest current threat to America and the world. Israel is the closest ally the US has in the midst of a sea of Islam. The US needs the military and intelligence cooperation of Israel - as well as Arab Nations. Islam, like communism is Evil attacking good and God.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
In almost all cases, "undocumented" means a person who is in the US illegally. In most cases, there should be no sanctuary. I believe our immigration system should be reformed to allow Guest Workers, penalize violation, eliminate fraud, and provide clear and reasonable pathways to citizenship - all fairly and properly administered.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Strongly Agree
Foreign donations should not be used to fund anti-American activities in educational institutions which are receiving taxpayer funding.
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Bible believing Christian. I believe in an eternal Creator God. I believe that God chose Abraham and his descendants, and that he has never changed his choice. Non-Jews who believe in the Savior Jesus are grafted into the family of Abraham (Romans 11). I was raised in a superficially Christian church. When I was 18, I realized that the church had drifted away from its roots. I left, but could not find a Biblically based church. For 40 years, I avoided church. Beginning in 2016, I began to rekindle my faith. My Christian beliefs have now become a major part of my life. My MISSION in life is to encourage Christians and Pastors to become engaged in government, politics, and culture - to BE the Salt and Light for the world to see.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Honest and SECURE elections are CRITICAL to the preservation of our Nation. It is ESSENTIAL that ONLY citizens vote, and vote only where they reside. (Accommodations must be made for individuals without a fixed, traditional residence). It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to have clean voter rolls, and accurate identity verification at both the time of registration and at the time of voting. Government issued picture ID is the standard for identification.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Strongly Disagree
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
The Sun is the most reliable long term source of energy. Harvesting that energy on earth is not practical. Oil is currently the best source of usable energy. At some point, we should expect that supply to be exhausted, and plan for alternatives.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
The goal of the criminal justice system should be the elimination of crime in society. Locate, prosecute, and incarcerate criminals. Reform and rehabilitate when possible. Increase sentences for repeat offenders.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
I wish this were not needed. I oppose government interference in personal activities. However, government must criminalize some behaviors. Crimes must be investigated, prosecuted, and punished. Crimes against the vulnerable, especially children, must be punished more severely. Crime prevention is necessary. But, expansion of government power is a danger that needs close oversight by citizens.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
Sharia = Islam. Islam is an authoritarian, expansive ideology, aimed at global domination. It uses religious practices and a "deity" to enforce compliance, and it uses promises of sexual reward to recruit its soldiers. The goal of Islam and Sharia is to overthrow the system of government in the US - the SAME objective as communism.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
From what I have seen in the past few years, Democrats, Trans-sexuals, and Communists should be prevented from owning guns. The best avenue to gun safety is proper training and respect for other people.
