V. Michael Arias

V. Michael Arias earned a bachelor's degree from Florida State University in 1978, a graduate degree from Florida State University in 1981, and a law degree from Florida State University in 1981. His career experience includes working as a lawyer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

V. Michael Arias is a lifelong Miamian, a husband, and a father, was raised in a military family and is the proud son of an immigrant father who set an example to Michael by serving in the U.S. Air Force. Service and the rule of law aren't slogans in his family; they are how he was raised.

He is not a politician. His career sits precisely where the work of Congress happens at the intersection of law and finance. He has served as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting crime, an enforcement attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rooting out fraud and holding powerful institutions accountable, a securities litigator fighting for people's rights, and a legal and management leader inside major financial-services firms. That combination of legal and financial expertise is exactly what the job of a member of Congress demands.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Michael is running to give back to the community that gave him everything and because he believes the job of Congress is to show up, represent the district, and get results. The Constitution gives Congress two core responsibilities: to legislate and to appropriate to write the laws and to control the nation's spending and negotiate on behalf of constituents. Doing that well takes real legal and financial expertise that Michael has.

He believes Congress is a duty to serve, not a career to build. That conviction is why he has signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge and pledged not to accept a paycheck during any government shutdown. His campaign is grassroots, largely self-funded, so his only obligation is to the people of not to Lobbyists.Michael's top priority is making life affordable again for the families and seniors being priced out of South Florida. He ties the crisis to its root cause: Washington's runaway deficits fuel the inflation that keeps costs climbing.

Rein in the deficit and reckless spending using a career of financial enforcement to root out waste and fraud and reduce the inflation squeezing every household.

Housing for seniors: eliminate the federal capital-gains penalty on the sale of a senior's primary home, frozen since 1997, it now traps owners in homes they can't afford or maintain. Freeing them to downsize increases supply for young families.

Open Florida's market to competition and attack the fraud to bring down costs.Safety & Security:

As the son of a legal immigrant, Michael believes legal immigration is part of the American story and that securing the border is essential to protecting it. He supports securing the border and fixing a broken legal system that currently rewards those who don't follow the rules, while enforcing the law and prioritizing the removal of criminals.

Our Law Enforcement puts their lives on the line to keep our neighborhoods safe, and they deserve our full support in the training, resources, and fair compensation they need to do the job safely and effectively. Michael will fight for the federal funding that equips and supports our police to keep us safe.

Michael staunchly supports a strong, well-resourced military.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Three things drive me. First, the federal debt: I've spent my career in financial enforcement, and I know that runaway spending fuels the inflation and taxes squeezing every family. Getting our fiscal house in order is how we make life affordable again, bringing down the cost of housing, insurance, and everyday living that's pricing people out of South Florida. Second, our safety and security: a nation is only as free as it is secure, at home and abroad. And third, the people who protect us.I'll always back our law enforcement and a strong military, and I believe we owe our veterans far more than words. They kept their promise to us; we must keep ours to them.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Miami Herald and the Kendall Federated PAC

V. Michael Arias did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.