Former U.S. Representative Dave Brat visited the University of Florida on Monday, March 3 to discuss the role of faith in politics.
On Monday March 3, 2025, former United States Representative Dave Brat visited the University of Florida to speak on Faith, Freedom, and Fiscal Responsibility at the Reitz Student Union. Dave Brat served as the United States representative for Virginia’s 7th congressional district from 2014 to 2019. He is known for his victory in defeating the U.S. House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, in the Republican primary in 2014. Dave Brat is a Presbyterian Christian who believes God is sovereign over every fraction of Earth, extending into politics.
The event was hosted by the Turning Point USA chapter at the University of Florida, focusing on how faith has been an instrumental factor in political institutions tracing back to America’s founding. Kylie Gillis, a 20-year-old sophomore and UF Business Finance Major, stated “Faith is essential to politics,” further stating that the constitution was “written to be in faith.”
Representative Dave Brat stated that there is a strong correlation among Christian-majority- countries and higher life expectancy, as well as higher GDP. He also stated that “productivity is the real economy” and noted that productivity in the United States has generally declined in the past 70 years. Furthermore, he warned that the economy is projected to grow at a “two percent economic growth rate” over the next 30 years, which he described as not good. Brat attributed this trend to the erosion of foundational values, stating that the “loves being stripped away”- including love of family, love of country, and love of God, on which the United States was founded- are primary contributing factors.
Representative Brat also discussed that during the past 5 years all net new jobs went to foreign-born workers, leaving native-born U.S. citizens at no net new jobs. Brat stated that this is “not rational economic policy.”
Lucy Walter, a senior Political Science Major and member of UF Turning Point Executive Board stated “Faith is very important for politics” and that “very different values and belief systems in the two U.S parties have shaped current politics.” Increasing polarization of the two U.S. parties has contributed to an increased divide between topics such as faith and its role in politics.
Brat brought up the idea that when leaders assume office, “Jesus is God working through all of them.” He believes politics and leadership have a moral correlation to religious values, citing- Romans 13. Romans 13:4 states, “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
Dave Brat further emphasized that power should not be correlated with evil, as strong leaders may be required to enact change in times of deceit and misinformation. Coleman Bunn, a 23-year-old UF Student studying Data and Econometric Analysis, added “Power is not inherently bad, it depends on who wields it, whether it’s righteous people or the unrighteous.”
Brat concluded by discussing the historical influence of faith on politics, tracing it back to the earliest civilization. He argued that faith establishes the moral framework for governance. Lastly, he warned that future generations will inherit that national debt due to, what he describes, as unnecessary government spending. Brat urged young people to take action to fight for “righteousness” and “freedom” in the political sphere.
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