GOP’s Willie Montague takes on Democratic star rookie Maxwell Frost

In his third try, nonprofit founder Willie Montague finally won a GOP congressional primary this year. His reward is to take on one of the Democratic Party's biggest young phenoms in U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost.

"Some people don't want to jump in and support me because they feel like it's not winnable," Montague said. "I absolutely believe that this is winnable."

Frost, 27, was the first member of Generation Z to enter Congress in 2023 and has been a fixture on TV, social media and podcasts. In August, he secured a speaking slot at his party's national convention. "Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic," he told delegates.

"For people here in Central Florida, this is one of the most progressive Democratic areas in the entire state," Frost told the Orlando Sentinel. "We believe in not narrowing what it means to be an American, but making sure everyone has their full rights realized in this country."

Montague, 36, the founder of the House of Timothy center for teen boys, faces an uphill battle in a heavily Democratic district in central Orange County. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists the seat as having a 14-point Democratic advantage, and if it existed in its current form in 2020 the district would have voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump by 32 points.

Frost's campaign has also raised more than $3 million to Montague's $20,000.

Montague criticized Frost as a congressman who "has spent a lot of time being an activist and not really a representative" for his district.

"He pops back in and makes like he's the hero and the savior of the district after spending four four days in five different states" boosting Vice President Kamala Harris, Montague told the Sentinel. "He's divisive, he's disconnected, and I believe he's just a puppet on a string for the Harris campaign."

Frost, meanwhile, said he respects much of the work Montague has done with his nonprofit, but they have "very stark disagreements," especially on abortion.

"I think that his views on the way that our country should be are not aligned with the majority of people in this district," Frost said. "Unfortunately, Willie has very far-right extreme views on almost every issue that you can think of."

Frost said he was happy with the work he and his office have accomplished in his term.

"We have our constituent services work at home, we have local issues, and then we have kind of big national issues, and I think that on all three accounts, we've done a fantastic job at delivering for people here," Frost said.

He cited the opening of a satellite office at the University of Central Florida, one of the first anywhere at a college campus, as well as a future passport office in Orlando slated to open sometime in the next year.

"I used all the time I could, whenever I had a State Department official in front of me, the Oversight Committee, to push for it," Frost said of the office.

In terms of legislation, Frost pointed to his first introduced bill to establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which ultimately was created by the Biden Administration.

"I went to the White House and I said, 'Look, this is something that can be done through executive order," Frost said. "Let's work together. Let's figure out a way to do this to save lives.'"

Frost also cited millions of dollars brought in for affordable housing in Eatonville and Bithlo.

"We need to fix this housing crisis," he said, citing his own difficult experiences with housing in Orlando and Washington. "My End Junk Fees for Renters Act ... would help lower the cost of housing, make it more transparent for tenants, give tenants more power in the marketplace, and also lower barriers to housing."

Other top priorities for Frost would be the Safe through Medicare Act, which would help seniors amid power outages and hurricanes, and to work "hand in hand with President Harris and Speaker Jeffries to pass a full package on gun violence."

Montague, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in District 10 in 2018 and 2020, said it was unrealistic for new congress members to have detailed plans.

"I think that so many people get in office and they have this list," Montague said. "I've seen so many people [say], 'This is the bill I'm going to introduce. This is what I want to do.' But you rarely hear people saying, 'Let me sit down with fellow colleagues. This is what our district wants. This is what the country wants. How do we work together to get this to done?'"

Montague said his main economic platform was a balanced federal budget. "But we need to make sure that the working class feels comfortable and those who are retired can stay in retirement and enjoy their life," he said.

Frost has called Florida's 6-week abortion ban "a near total ban that rips away the human right of bodily autonomy from our people." He backs Florida's Amendment 4, which would restore abortion rights in the state to the time of viability.

Montague said he is "100% pro-life" and is voting against Amendment 4. He said that after Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion is "100% completely a state issue" and doesn't believe it will be dealt with at the federal level.

But asked if he would vote on a bill restricting abortion nationally, Montague said he would "go to the people."

"I would create a district-wide website that would be centered around a live feed of asking the question, 'What does the district want?' And I will look at it. But as for me, I personally cannot just say right off the rip that this would be a yes or no vote."

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7, and the deadline to request a mail ballot is Oct. 24.

Early voting in Orange County begins Oct. 21, with election day on Nov. 5.