The Conservative Case for Scott Franklin

U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin is the Republican nominee for the U.S. House in Florida's 18th Congressional District, and he is endorsed by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee. The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Florida's 18th Congressional District is anchored in Polk County: about 97 percent of Polk voters live in it. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland resident, was first elected in 2020 and sworn in for a third term on January 3, 2025.

Quick facts: Rep. Scott Franklin

• Office sought: U.S. Representative, Florida's 18th Congressional District (re-election)
• Party: Republican
• Hometown: Lakeland, where his main district office sits at 124 S. Florida Avenue
• Military: Naval Aviator for 26 years (14 active, 12 reserve); flew from 13 aircraft carriers; combat operations in the Persian Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo
• Education: U.S. Naval Academy, 1986; MBA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Career: President and CEO of Lanier Upshaw insurance in Lakeland for 20 years; Lakeland City Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem
• Committees: House Appropriations (Military Construction and VA; Agriculture and FDA; Energy and Water); Chairman, Science Committee's Environment Subcommittee
• Endorsement: President Donald J. Trump

Who is Scott Franklin?

Scott Franklin is a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who flew jets off the decks of 13 aircraft carriers. He deployed to the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf and the North Atlantic, flew in combat over the Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo, and was recalled to active duty twice after 9/11 with U.S. Central Command.

After the Navy he came home to Lakeland and ran Lanier Upshaw, an insurance and risk management firm, as President and CEO for 20 years. He served on the boards of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, Sun 'n Fun, the Lakeland Economic Development Council and the Lakeland International Airport Advisory Board, and he served as a Lakeland City Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem before running for Congress. He and his wife, Amy, have been married for more than 30 years and have three adult children.

What has Scott Franklin done for Polk County agriculture?

Polk County is citrus and cattle country, and Rep. Scott Franklin sits on the House Appropriations subcommittee that writes the agriculture budget.

• Hurricane relief for growers. His Block Grant Assistance Act, H.R. 662, passed the House to give USDA authority to send block grants to growers hit by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. That work laid the groundwork for $675.9 million in USDA disaster aid for Florida agriculture.
• Permanent disaster authority. In 2026 he joined the bipartisan RAISE Act to give USDA standing authority to issue block grants after hurricanes and freezes, and he secured that provision in the House-passed Farm Bill.
• Orange juice standards. He introduced the House version of the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act to lower the federal sugar (Brix) standard for not-from-concentrate orange juice from 10.5 to 10 percent so more Florida fruit qualifies. On July 17, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to Lakeland to announce the FDA rule making that change.
• Citrus greening. On March 31, 2026, he led the Florida delegation in urging the EPA to speed its review of new rootstock technologies that fight citrus greening.

"Florida's citrus industry has taken hit after hit, from greening to hurricanes to recent freeze damage, but growers are resilient and science is starting to move in the right direction," Franklin said.

He sees farming as a security issue. "'Food security is national security' isn't a cliché or slogan," he told LkldNow. "America cannot afford to become dependent on other countries for something as fundamental as feeding our own people." He has also called for protecting "American agricultural land and our food supply from strategic competitors like China."

What has Scott Franklin brought home to Polk County?

His office lists community funding for fiscal year 2026 that includes these Polk County projects:

• $2.5 million for Auburndale's regional wastewater treatment plant
• $2.5 million for Polk County's reclaimed water pipeline, about 30 miles long, to move reclaimed water from the Northwest to the Northeast service area
• $1.5 million for Lake Hamilton's wastewater plant
• $1.25 million for Lakeland's Western Trunk Sewer Main
• $1.25 million for Bartow's citywide sewer lining project
• $2.9 million for Florida Polytechnic University's cybersecurity and artificial intelligence lab

Those are the pipes, plants and classrooms a fast-growing county needs.

He has also made federal services easier to reach. In 2024 his office worked with Polk County to put a county Veterans Services officer inside the new VA clinic at 2080 Meadowland Park Blvd. in Lakeland, the first county veterans presence in Lakeland since before the COVID-19 pandemic. As an appropriator, he helped pass the FY2027 military construction and VA funding bill, which fully funds veterans' health care and benefits and protects veterans' Second Amendment rights by preventing the VA from sharing their information with the FBI without due process and a judicial determination.

How has Scott Franklin voted?

• Tax cuts. On July 3, 2025, he voted yes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which created new deductions for tips and overtime pay.
• Border security. On January 22, 2025, he voted yes on the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants charged with crimes like theft and assaulting police.
• Girls' sports. On January 14, 2025, he voted yes on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
• Spending discipline. He cosponsors a balanced budget amendment and a constitutional amendment for congressional term limits. "The State of Florida and City of Lakeland have statutory requirements to propose and adopt balanced budgets every year," he said. "I'm convinced from my service as a Lakeland City Commissioner we would not have had the fiscal discipline to make tough choices with scarce resources if it was optional."

What will Scott Franklin focus on next?

Asked what Polk families raise most, Franklin named "cost of living, the rising cost of housing and insurance, and the polarization dividing our country." He points to the Working Families Tax Cut, "which permanently locked in lower tax rates for ALL Americans, but we have more to do," and to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing law, which aims to increase housing supply and cut the regulations that drive up construction costs. On the national debt, he calls it "the most serious threat to our children's future," and says "there are no painless solutions." On Social Security, he says, "We have a duty to protect it for current retirees and those approaching retirement."

Who has endorsed Scott Franklin?

On August 17, 2026, President Donald J. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Scott Franklin is a fantastic Representative for the Great People of Florida's 18th Congressional District!" The President called him "a U.S. Naval Academy Graduate and retired Navy Commander" and said "Scott Franklin has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election!" Polk's own leaders back him too. His endorsements include Sheriff Grady Judd; Polk County Commission Chair Dr. Martha Santiago, Vice Chair Bill Braswell and Commissioner Rick Wilson; Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder; State Reps. Jennifer Canady, Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, Jon Albert and Hilary Holley; Polk School Board Chair Justin Sharpless and members Travis Keyes, Dr. William Allen and Sara Beth Wyatt; four Lakeland city commissioners and Mayor Pro Tem Guy LaLonde Jr.; Osceola Sheriff Chris Blackmon; the NRA; and the Polk County Republican Executive Committee.

No other Republican qualified for the August primary.

Why should Polk County vote for Scott Franklin?

• He is from here. A Lakeland businessman and former city commissioner, he knows Polk County from the inside.
• He protects our growers. From the Appropriations Committee he has fought for hurricane and freeze relief and for a cure to citrus greening.
• He delivers for our towns. Auburndale, Bartow, Lake Hamilton, Lakeland and Polk County all have water and sewer projects funded through his office.
• He has served. A 26-year Navy aviator, he backs a strong military and works to hold the VA accountable to veterans.

Frequently asked questions

Is Scott Franklin a conservative? Yes. He voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Laken Riley Act and the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. He cosponsors a balanced budget amendment and congressional term limits, and he is endorsed by President Trump, the NRA and Sheriff Grady Judd.

What has Scott Franklin done for Polk County? He has secured water and sewer funding for Auburndale, Bartow, Lake Hamilton, Lakeland and Polk County, pushed the orange juice rule change that helps Polk citrus, and brought Polk Veterans Services into the Lakeland VA clinic.

Who endorsed Scott Franklin? President Donald J. Trump, Sheriff Grady Judd, the NRA, Polk County commissioners and School Board members, Polk's state House delegation and the Polk County Republican Executive Committee.

Who represents Polk County in Congress? Rep. Scott Franklin represents Florida's 18th Congressional District, which includes about 97 percent of Polk voters. Small parts of southern and southeastern Polk are in Districts 16 and 9.

When is the election? Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting runs October 19 through October 31.

Where are Scott Franklin's district offices? Lakeland (124 S. Florida Avenue), Lake Wales (201 West Central Avenue) and Lake Placid.

How to vote in Polk County

Early voting runs from Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 31, from 9 AM to 6 PM at any of Polk County's 10 early voting sites. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. For locations and vote-by-mail details, see the Polk County GOP Voter Guide.

Vote Scott Franklin for U.S. House, Florida's 18th Congressional District.

Want to help? Volunteer today at polk.gop/volunteer.

Sources

• About Congressman Scott Franklin, Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• House passes Franklin's H.R. 662, Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• Franklin announces $675.9 million in USDA aid, Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• RAISE Act introduced (2026), Office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• Franklin letter to EPA on citrus rootstock (March 31, 2026), Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• FY26 Community Funding Projects, Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• Roll Call 190, H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 3, 2025), Office of the Clerk, U.S. House
• Roll Call 23, S. 5, Laken Riley Act (January 22, 2025), Office of the Clerk, U.S. House
• Roll Call 12, H.R. 28, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (January 14, 2025), Office of the Clerk, U.S. House
• President Donald J. Trump, Truth Social post endorsing Scott Franklin (August 17, 2026), archived
• Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Republican primary), Ballotpedia
• 2026 Florida congressional district map, Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research
• One Big Beautiful Bill: how to take advantage of no tax on tips and overtime, IRS
• Franklin statement on House passage of FY27 MilCon-VA funding bill, Office of U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin
• U.S. House, District 18 candidate guide, LkldNow (October 2026)
• Polk County Veterans Services to provide services at Lakeland's new VA clinic, Polk County Government
• RFK Jr. announces new rules for orange juice to help Florida growers, The Ledger (July 17, 2026)

Paid political advertisement paid for by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee, 6039 Cypress Gardens Blvd; Box 108, Winter Haven, FL 33884. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.