Florida's 6th congressional district is up for grabs.

On the state's Atlantic coast, the district is situated between Saint Augustine and Daytona Beach, stretching inland to the outskirts of Ocala and Leesburg. The former representative for the district, Michael Waltz, vacated that role in January to accept a position in the current presidential administration as U.S. National Security Advisor. That triggered a need for a special election, scheduled for April 1. Whoever wins that seat will represent the district's roughly 800,000 residents.

Josh Weil wants to be that person.

Weil, who earned his candidacy on Jan. 28 by winning the Democratic primary election, is looking to break the 6th district's streak of electing Republican representation dating back to 1989.

He'll face off with Randy Fine (R) at the polls, as well as third party/unaffiliated candidates Andrew Parrott, Randall Terry and Chuck Sheridan.

Voters in the district, in researching their candidates, might have taken a look at Weil's website, on which it lists some personal details about the career teacher: single dad to two boys, he's got a cat named Chatterbox, he loves the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And there's another detail too, which will answer the question readers are likely asking themselves about this particular content on EDHREC: he's a huge Magic player.

We spoke to Weil about that very fact, as well as the reason he's willing to throw his hat into the ring to represent the people of Florida's 6th district.

Nick Wolf: I'd love for you to elaborate a bit on how engaged you are with Magic: The Gathering. How'd you start, and when?

Josh Weil: I started playing in middle school, and discovered it at my local comic shop. Fourth Edition was out, but they still had some Revised, in those old wax packs. I played through Ice Age block, Mirage block, and into Fifth Edition, up until the LCS closed. As an adult, I got back into it when a friend invited me out to play during the Scars of Mirrodin block, and I was all in, again.

What's your preferred format?

We play casually with friends a lot, but my boys love EDH, so we play that a lot when it’s just us at home. My favorite is probably booster drafts, though. I love the whole extra aspect of deck building, and knowing that budget is a level playing field.

Serra Angel, by Doug Shuler

Favorite card? Memorable gameplay story?

My favorite card art is the OG Serra AngelSerra Angel, I absolutely love that art by Douglas Shuler. I love playing tribal (kindred) and working tribal boosts, so my favorite in gameplay right now is probably either Door of DestiniesDoor of Destinies, or working off of proliferate (one of my favorite mechanics), Flux ChannelerFlux Channeler.

Do you have an example deck list that you enjoy playing?

Recently, I’ve had a lot of fun playing with a 60 card Bant deck. It really plays more like a mini-EDH with a ton of singletons. It produces a lot of +1/+1 counters, does a lot of Proliferating – I told you, I love Flux Channeler – and even has some gimmicks for sacrificing lands and bringing them back and forth from the graveyard to play with World ShaperWorld Shaper, Splendid ReclamationSplendid Reclamation, Zuran OrbZuran Orb, Copper-Leaf AngelCopper-Leaf Angel, and Titania, Protector of ArgothTitania, Protector of Argoth. I also put A Killer Among UsA Killer Among Us from Murders at Karlov Manor in there because it’s just silly fun.

As an educator, do you see value in Magic as a teaching tool?

Absolutely. Critical thinking is one of the hardest things to teach, helping to build those mental muscles for kids to not just succeed through memorization or following set procedures, but being able to problem solve. Watching the gears spin when my boys find new cards and start thinking of all the ways they’d make decks around them, and the balance of working towards your win condition while responding to the opponents’ gameplay, it’s invaluable.

Flux Channeler, by Heonwha Choe

What compelled you to throw your hat into the ring in Florida? Are politics something that has always interested you or is this new?

I’m a teacher and a single dad - I was compelled to launch my campaign because of my sons and my students. These kids deserve to grow up in a community that cares about each other and one that prioritizes education, health care, the environment, and their economic future. They deserve more than just “fine.” Florida’s politicians are more beholden to the special interests and wealthy donors than to us. I’m running because we can all agree that we want our families, friends, and communities to thrive and we need real solutions to address these problems.

How are the issues you see faced by Floridians translate to those faced by Americans at-large?

In Florida, we are seeing a number of issues such as high prices in the grocery store, lack of access to affordable housing, and the defunding of public education. These are not unique to the 6th district (FL-06) – many Americans are facing these same challenges. Ultimately, if elected my priority will be FL-06 and finding bold solutions for my constituents, but hopefully we can get support on board to help communities across America. With the balance of the House so close, negotiations will be needed from both sides.

What can you say about the support you've received so far?

We have seen a lot of enthusiasm over the course of this short campaign. People are mad about the Trump-Musk administration and frustrated that Trump has focused more on culture wars than the cost of goods. We are not taking any money from PACs or special interests and it’s been awesome to see the significant grassroots excitement.

Overall, what do you see are the most immediate issues you seek to tackle, should you be elected? How do you intend to tackle these issues?

I go into detail about some of my priorities and how I plan to solve them on my website. Broadly however, a few important issues that I plan to tackle first include ensuring the continued funding of public education to improve our schools, fixing our broken health care system, and resetting the economy for workers. We will need to be able to pay for this however, so I will work hard to end the handouts to the wealthy via the Trump tax cuts and make sure everyone contributes to our shared success.

Note that any political viewpoints and ideas expressed in this article may not be expressly shared or held by EDHREC and/or its affiliates, and any appearances and quotes do not denote an endorsement.

Nick Wolf

Nick Wolf is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer based in Michigan. He has over a decade of newsmedia experience and has been a fan of Magic: The Gathering since Tempest.