March 19, 2020 by David Silverberg
Dr. William Figlesthaler, a Republican candidate for Congress in the 19th Congressional District, the seat currently held by Rep. Francis Rooney, has announced suspension of his political campaign.
“This morning I made the difficult, but important decision to temporarily suspend our on-the-ground campaign activities moving forward,” Figlesthaler announced in a 12:15 pm tweet.
Figlesthaler, a Naples-based urologist, stated that he was launching a medical hotline and online help center.
Figlesthaler was the highest financed congressional campaign for the 19th District thanks to a $410,000 loan from the candidate.
The Figlesthaler suspension brings to 10 the number of candidates seeking Rooney’s seat: seven Republicans, two Democrats and one Independent.
Figlesthaler’s full statement follows below:
This morning I made the difficult, but important decision to temporarily suspend our on-the-ground campaign activities moving forward.
As a physician, I have seen first-hand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all.
Over the last few months, we have built an incredibly talented and robust campaign team completely dedicated to winning this election.
My team has worked tirelessly over the last couple of days to transition our campaign operations into a resource center designed to help the citizens of Southwest Florida navigate the multitude of resources available to help them through this time of uncertainty.
Our entire campaign team will be focused on managing our “Need Help? Ask!” crisis hotline and resource center.
If you, or a loved one is in need of assistance or has questions regarding the virus or the fallout because of it, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Our team can be reached via phone at 239-424-9868 or online at NeedHelpAsk.com
I want to reiterate, America is the greatest and most resilient nation on Earth, and we will get through this.
Thank you, God Bless.