Neal Dunn

Neal Patrick Dunn (born February 16, 1953) is an American surgeon and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Dunn is a medical doctor who served in the United States Army for eleven years, reaching the rank of major.

On January 13, 2026, Dunn announced he would not seek re-election in 2026. In March 2026, President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson publicly confirmed a serious heart condition, from which Dunn would have likely died by June if not for an emergency surgery.

Early life and career Dunn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1953. He earned a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary sciences from Washington and Lee University, and a Doctor of Medicine from the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He completed his medical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dunn served in the United States Army for 11 years of active duty, reaching the rank of major. He then settled in Panama City, Florida, where he helped found the Panama City Urological Center and the Panama City Surgery Center, and was the founding chairman of Summit Bank. He won the Republican nomination, narrowly defeating attorneys Mary Thomas and Ken Sukhia, and defeated Walter Dartland in the general election. He was sworn in on January 3, 2017.

2018 In 2018, Dunn won reelection against challenger Bob Rackleff, 67.4% to 32.6%.

2020 Constituents voiced frustration with Dunn for his refusal to host town halls. Dunn held multiple virtual town hall meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

Dunn was reelected in 2020 with 97.9% of the vote. He had no primary election or official general election opponents.

2022 In 2022, Dunn defeated U.S. Representative Al Lawson with 59.8% of the vote. Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

Caucus memberships House Border Security Caucus Conservative Climate Caucus Wildfire Caucus Congressional French Caucus House Army Caucus Friends of Belgium Caucus Bulgaria Caucus Congressional Wine Caucus Healthcare Innovation Caucus Republican Study Committee

Political positions

Dunn's campaign website identifies him as conservative.

Gun policy He opposes a ban on semi-automatic weapons. From 2015 to 2016, Dunn accepted $1,000 from the NRA-PVF.

Net neutrality

Along with 107 Republican members of Congress, Dunn sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on December 13, 2017, supporting his plan to repeal net neutrality protections ahead of the commission's vote. Dunn accepted $18,500 from the telecom industry before voting to repeal the rule.

Tax reform

Dunn voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, calling the bill "good medicine for America". He believes it will benefit many generations of Americans with a "great economy in which there will be jobs, there will be opportunity, there's possibilities for literally a whole new generation or two of Americans". Dunn says he has received support from "mostly small businessmen" in his district for supporting the bill.

Education

Dunn supports defunding the Department of Education.

Healthcare

Dunn supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which he says is "failing", saying "no one can afford" the premiums and deductibles.

2021 storming of the Capitol After the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Dunn condemned the rioters, but still voted to object to the certification of several states' electoral votes.

Israel Dunn voted to provide Israel with support following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

Immigration In 2026, Dunn was a cosponsor of the DIGNIDAD Act, which proposes a pathway to legal status for up to 12 million illegal immigrants, paired with stricter border enforcement and mandatory work and restitution requirements.

Veterans Dunn voted against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service.

Personal life Dunn and his wife, Leah, have three sons and three grandsons. On March 16, 2026, during a broadcast board meeting of the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump shared private details of Dunn's condition, which he revealed was a heart problem. President Trump disclosed that because he needed his vote, the White House Medical Unit had gone to see Dunn and that "he was on the operating table, like, two hours later." Trump also disclosed that Dunn "would be dead by June," to which Johnson responded, "Okay, that wasn't public."

Electoral history