Dan Bilzerian Makes First Run for Congress in Florida Primary

Armenian-American entrepreneur and social media personality Dan Bilzerian is making his first bid for elected office Tuesday, seeking the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat as voters head to the polls across Florida.

Bilzerian, 45, is challenging U.S. Rep. Randy Fine in the Republican primary for Florida’s 6th Congressional District, bringing his enormous online following and anti-establishment political message into a race that could send another Armenian-American to Capitol Hill.

Charles Gambaro, Aaron Baker and Manuel Asensio are also competing in the Aug. 18 primary.

Bilzerian entered the race as a political outsider with one of the largest personal audiences of any first-time congressional candidate. Long known for poker, business ventures and a social media presence followed by millions, he has used the campaign to present himself as an alternative to career politicians and the traditional Republican establishment.

His platform calls for sweeping changes to the federal government, including abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Reserve.

Foreign policy has also become a major part of his campaign. Bilzerian has sharply criticized U.S. military involvement overseas and American support for Israel, arguing that Washington should put U.S. interests ahead of those of foreign governments.

For Armenian readers, Bilzerian’s candidacy carries another significance.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Bilzerian is the son of businessman Paul Bilzerian, whose family is of Armenian descent. Dan and his brother, Adam, received Armenian citizenship in 2018.

Bilzerian traveled to Armenia that year, received his Armenian passport and registered with the Armenian Armed Forces reserve.

He also visited Artsakh during the trip, where he was seen firing weapons at a shooting range. Azerbaijan responded by opening a criminal case against him and seeking an international arrest warrant.

Bilzerian did not distance himself from Armenia following the controversy.

When war broke out in Artsakh in 2020, Bilzerian and his family pledged $250,000 to Armenia Fund, publicly backing Armenians during the fighting.

His Armenian identity has not been a central theme of his Florida campaign, but his run for Congress puts one of the most internationally recognized Americans of Armenian descent into a closely watched U.S. political contest.

Bilzerian faces a difficult race against Fine, who enters Election Day with the advantages of incumbency, Republican establishment support and a significantly larger fundraising operation.

Fine has represented Florida’s 6th District since winning an April 2025 special election. He captured the seat after Mike Waltz left Congress to join the Trump administration.

Bilzerian has nevertheless committed substantial personal resources to the campaign, including a $1 million loan to his congressional bid.

The campaign has also been highly confrontational.

Bilzerian’s comments on Israel and statements about Jews have brought accusations of antisemitism from Jewish organizations, including the Combat Antisemitism Movement. The group said an analysis of Bilzerian’s campaign account on X found that roughly one-third of its posts during a 90-day period contained content it classified as antisemitic hate speech.

Bilzerian’s critics say the rhetoric targets Jews as a group rather than limiting his criticism to the Israeli government or U.S. foreign policy.

Bilzerian has framed his broader message differently, presenting his campaign as a challenge to Israeli influence in Washington and arguing that American elected officials should answer to U.S. voters rather than foreign interests.

That dispute has helped turn what might otherwise have been a conventional Republican primary into a race attracting attention well beyond Florida.

Fine remains heavily favored, but Bilzerian’s candidacy presents a different question on Election Day: whether a first-time candidate with a massive independent audience and little connection to the traditional political establishment can convert online support into votes.

Florida voters will provide that answer Tuesday.

The winner of the Republican primary will advance to the November general election in a district where Republicans hold a substantial electoral advantage.

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