Charles Gambaro, a member of the Palm Coast City Council, declared late Thursday that he would run against U.S. Representative Randy Fine in the 2026 primary for the seat in the 6th Congressional District, which Fine gained in a special election last April.
Gambaro listed a number of reasons for his decision to enter the race, including Fine’s constant outrageous remarks about the Gaza war (as long as Israeli hostages aren’t returned, starve away, Fine said of a Gaza population of 2 million in famine), his lack of presence in the district, his reversal of promises to tour Palm Coast’s troubled wastewater infrastructure and to open an office locally, and his subpar constituent services.
In an interview this morning, Gambaro stated, “I feel obligated to step in, even though I don’t need this.”
There isn’t our current representation here. Gambaro, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, stated that he doesn’t reside in our district and doesn’t want to be a part of our community. That is simply intolerable, especially when combined with ludicrous remarks and actions made by a sitting member of Congress on extremely important foreign policy matters.
According to a representative at Fine’s congressional office, inquiries about the campaign were sent to the campaign team, which had not replied prior to the publication of this article, because the office was unable to accept such inquiries.
Since the next House session does not start until January 2026, two months after Gambaro’s tenure on the council ends, the resign-to-run statute does not apply to federal offices and would not apply in any case. He plans to finish that term. Last October, he was appointed to the council, a decision that Mayor Mike Norris unsuccessfully attempted to overturn in court.
Gambaro gained the support of his colleagues to urge the governor to suspend or remove the mayor from office after the council censured Norris for the second time last month. The mayor is unlikely to be removed as a result of that request, which is still pending.
Gambaro’s departure opens up the second council seat, which would allow the beleaguered Norris to try to win a majority in support of him, as Council member Dave Sullivan has decided not to run in the 2026 election. Theresa Pontieri’s seat is also up. Pontieri has not stated if she plans to run. She stated today that she intends to be involved in local politics, hinting at a potential bid for another position, like the County Commission, which would result in an unprecedented three available seats in one election. She won’t be motivated to stay by the possibility of becoming a minority.
According to Gambaro, “I have no doubt that someone from our community will step forward to carry on the excellent work that our councils pursued.” Our advisory boards have excellent members, and I will do everything in my power to support and inspire community people to run for city council. It’s crucial.
Gambaro would join Joshua Vasquez of Ocala, Alexandra van Cleef of Palm Coast, and Aaron Baker of Sorrento as the fourth Republican to declare a bid against Fine in the Republican primary. Both independent Purvi Dilip Bangdiwala of Ormond Beach and Democrat Ronnie Ron Murchinson-Rivera of Sorento are in the race.
Previously a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, Gambaro served as a special assistant to the assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior advisor to the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and, at different times during the first Trump administration, the Director for Gulf Affairs and the Middle East Strategic Alliance, where he provided policy advice to the national security adviser. The Abraham Accords, which restored ties between Israel and four Arab nations—including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates—were preceded by the alliance.
Since his candidacy and election to Congress, Fine, who was well-known for his discriminating policies and verbal abuse when serving in the Florida legislature, including his refusal to say gaybill and his proposed ban on hanging pride flags in public areas, has changed his ways. His speech now mirrors those of the most racist proponents of the genocidal war against Gaza’s Palestinians in the Israeli government, such Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Yoav Gallant. He had referred to his Democratic opponent, Josh Weil, as Jihad Josh.
Early in his term, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a number of Democratic members of Congress denounced him; however, far-right Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene have since joined in. The advocacy group, the American Jewish Committee, called his remarks toward Gaza intolerable. Fine was removed from his position as a committeeman by an overwhelming vote of the Brevard County Republican Executive Committee. Even the far-right pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, seems to have turned away from Fine. AIPAC disputes this. However, Fine’s name was taken off of AIPAC’s list of pro-Israel politicians it backs, as The New Republic reported this week. (You may find a PDF of today’s page screenshot here.)
AIPAC, one of the biggest political action groups in Washington, withdrew its backing of Fine, which is astounding, according to Gambaro, while other members of Congress have voiced their opposition to his ludicrous remarks. Therefore, it is concerning that a member of Congress would act in such a manner and show no consideration for actually representing the people of the 6th Congressional District. If not the president’s former boss, he plans to seek the support of AIPAC.
As an example of congressional representation, Gambaro mentioned John Mica, the former congressman whose district previously encompassed Flagler County, without being asked in the interview. When the News-Journal was a family-owned newspaper in the 2000s, Mica, an arch-conservative, was renowned for providing such excellent constituent services that he was frequently endorsed by the publication on that basis alone.
When Mica started his career and was growing up in Oviedo, he served as Gmabaro’s agent. According to Gambaro, he was unquestionably an expert in constituency services. As a resident, Rusty, his chief of staff, and the team were always on top of any problems I had. He would personally show me his voting card, sit in the gallery, and give me a tour of the US House of Representatives whenever I made the decision to visit Washington. As a member of Congress, I aim to set an example like that.
Gambaro stated that his first bill would seek financing for beach revitalization, followed by demands for roads and infrastructure that prioritize local needs, as well as what he refers to as healthcare infrastructure.
Regarding the upcoming significant fundraising effort for the race, we are in a very good position. It does take a lot of fundraising to spread your message and win the primary and general election, so I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a strong first quarter, which is part of the reason I’m jumping into the race now, he said. Therefore, we have great confidence that we will raise the necessary funds to succeed.
In the upcoming weeks, he intends to hold a formal campaign start in Palm Coast.
