Matthew Montavon
Matthew Montavon (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 17th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 3, 2026.[source]
Montavon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Matthew Montavon was born in South Bend, Indiana. Montavon earned a bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of America in 1978 and a graduate degree from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 1984. His career experience includes working in public administration. He served in the Peace Corps; worked with the Illinois Migrant Council and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and held roles in planning and financial management for governments in West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Montavon has been affiliated with the Sarasota County Democratic Party and the Sarasota Democratic Hispanic Caucus.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: Florida's 17th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House Florida District 17
Incumbent Greg Steube (R), Matthew Montavon (D), and Allen Spence (D) are running in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 17 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Greg Steube (R) | |
 | Matthew Montavon (D)  | |
 | Allen Spence (D) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: Florida's 17th Congressional District election, 2024
Florida's 17th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Republican primary)
Florida's 17th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 17
Incumbent Greg Steube defeated Manny Lopez and Ralph E. Hartman in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 17 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Greg Steube (R) | 63.9 | 291,347 |
 | Manny Lopez (D) | 36.1 | 164,566 | |
 | Ralph E. Hartman (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 8 | |
| Total votes: 455,921 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 17
Manny Lopez defeated Matthew Montavon in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 17 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Manny Lopez | 52.9 | 25,017 |
| Matthew Montavon | 47.1 | 22,244 | |
| Total votes: 47,261 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Greg Steube advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 17.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Montavon in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matthew Montavon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Montavon's responses.
| Collapse all
• I believe in Democracy, • I believe that people can still have a voice in their future, • I believe we need to make choices that will provide for an economy for all, for universal health care, for immigration justice, for combating climate change and protecting the environment, and for a women’s right to choose. My background is public service, from the Peace Corps, to working six years with local governments and national associations, to working 27 years with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization combating hunger and poverty around the world. I am a compassionate individual, and throughout my life I have looked for opportunities to contribute to the community. I have volunteered for food pantries, Boy Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, hurricane relief and in many other roles. What I will bring to Congress is • a sense of compassion for people and the recognition that sometimes people need a hand up, not a hand down. • An ethical standing that recognized that I am there as a servant of the people, and not to promote my own interests or wealth. • Diplomatic and political skills to work with anyone to find solutions to our district’s and our nation’s problems. • Having an understanding of how government works through my years of working in government.
• A world perspective that understands our value, our place and our contribution to the world- I will work to fund critical government programs and agencies, expand public services that make our democracy stronger, including education, the transition to renewable energy, voting access, foreign aid, and civil rights protection.
I will work to end the abuse of executive power, establishing legislation to ensure the independence of the U.S. Department of Justice from political interference and protect Inspectors General, Assistant Attorneys General, and federal regulatory board members from unlawful dismissals.
I will work to strengthen independent oversight of the federal government by establishing ethics standards and implement stronger rules against federal officials profiting from their official actions. - I will work to expand affordable housing through federal support for the construction of affordable housing units, incentivize local development, and strengthen programs for renter support to ensure everyone affords a place to live. I will also work to lower the cost of living for working families through the control of inflation addressing the rising cost of groceries, utilities, and everyday essentials through sound economic policies. I will work to make healthcare affordable and accessible by protecting the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid in the short-term while pushing for universal healthcare in the long term. This will ensure that no American is forced to choose between medical care and financial stability.
- I will work to reform immigration enforcement including advocating for the elimination of ICE in its current form and bring US immigration enforcement into line with international human rights standards. Detention should only be used under strict, limited conditions and as a measure of last resort. I will insist on legislation that bars all law enforcement agents from wearing masks or otherwise concealing their identities while on duty. I will also push actions to enforce standards of conduct to hold those agents accountable for any abuses. I will also work on immigration reform to create a comprehensive pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and long-term undocumented immigrants who contribute to our country.
year until I went off to college. It was generally a good experience serving customers. I remember I had a couple of difficult days. One time a woman came in wanting high boots and she was very difficult to fit. I must have pulled out every type of boot in the store but eventually found a pair she liked. Another time we had a snowstorm and we were swamped with customers looking for winter boots. We managed and were happy to have had a successful day of sales while satisfying most customers.
gerrymandering and money in politics. Representatives become so secure in their seats that they easily ignore the voice of their constituents.
be made on principles, and in these cases, compromise becomes difficult.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2024
Matthew Montavon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Montavon's responses.
| Collapse all
Matt received a bachelor's degree in political science and Spanish from The Catholic University of America, graduating with honors. He received a master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Matt served two years in Central America as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in a rural area on an agriculture and grain storage program. He then worked with the Illinois Migrant Council out of Carbondale, Illinois serving migrant farm-workers and rural disadvantaged people.
Matt worked for a number of years in urban and regional planning and finance for local, regional, and national organizations in West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Matt produced several publications which supported the improvement and efficiency of government.
Matt had a distinguished career with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) based in Rome, Italy, retiring following 27 years of service. At FAO, Matt's work supported a wide variety of programs to fight hunger and improve food and agricultural systems around the world.
Matthew and Marjorie E. were married in 1991 and had two children. Marjie passed away from cancer in 2019.
- Throughout the years Matt has been a faithful Democrat, contributing to and volunteering for various campaigns even before he was old enough to vote. While working in Italy, he promoted voting among the American community, and for several years, he served as the chairperson for the Rome Chapter of the Democrats Abroad, the overseas arm of the Democratic Party. He currently serves as the President of the Sarasota Democratic Hispanic Caucus.
- Matt has always been involved in community activities such as volunteering for food pantries, Habitat for Humanity, and Operation BBQ Relief in Ft. Myers following Hurricane Ian. He was also a Boy Scout Leader, an Officer in the Federation of International Civil Servants' Associations, and the President of the FAO Credit Union. He currently serves as a volunteer co-coordinator of the AARP Tax-Aide program. He received an award in 2023 for outstanding service to the program.
- Through Matt's work and volunteering, he has demonstrated his lifelong commitment to improving our communities. Matt has a deep understanding of and empathy for people. Matt's experiences through public and international service have given him the skills to address the pressing issues facing our district and country.
I spent my career making organizations work better, and I will pursue solutions for these and other issues in a bipartisan and proactive way. It is not a single issue but a slew of issues that are under assault and need advocacy and protection. I will be a public servant focused on getting things done for our beloved community, state, and country.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House Florida District 17 |
Personal |
Footnotes
