Dr. Nizam Razack, an Orlando neurosurgeon and law professor running as a Republican for Florida's 11th Congressional District, says he has received death threats because he is Muslim in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 18 primary. Razack has hired private security to accompany him to campaign events and no longer answers phone calls from unrecognized numbers. The Orange County Sheriff's Office has received a report about a July 10 incident in which people approached and threatened him, and deputies have advised him not to campaign door-to-door for his own safety.
According to WKMG ClickOrlando, Razack said people have approached him and threatened him directly, prompting his decision to bring on security for public events. He has said voters should judge him on his character and competence, arguing that Article VI of the Constitution prohibits a religious test for candidates seeking office.
Rival Campaign Rhetoric Targets Razack's Faith
Razack has said his primary opponent, Tim Wilkins, and Wilkins's supporters are stirring up anti-Muslim rhetoric in the race. Per the same report, Wilkins has referred to Islam as an ideology rather than a religion and has called it "a cancer," while saying that Razack's association with the Islamic Center of Orlando is disqualifying for public office.
Wilkins has also suggested that Razack tried to conceal that he is Muslim and separately said that Razack's Indian background implied he was Hindu. He has spoken of finding a way to stop the spread of what he called radical Islam, and did not respond to an email sent Monday requesting comment about Razack's reported death threats, the outlet noted. Several posts on Wilkins's Facebook page referenced by Razack are no longer available, and Voxpopuli reported it was likewise unable to locate the posts Razack described.
A Facebook Group and a Protest Sign Reading 'No Muslims'
Gregg A. Jones, who runs the Summerlake Community Residential Conservative group on Facebook in Winter Garden, has posted anti-Muslim videos featuring Razack on TikTok and Facebook, some carrying the headline "Muslim Alert." Jones has said he was not behind the death threats and does not incite violence. Several posts on a page associated with Jones are also no longer available.
Members of the Florida Republican Freedom Assembly held signs reading "No Muslims in Public Office" while protesting earlier this month outside a candidates forum in Wildwood where Razack was speaking. Razack, who was born in India and came to the United States in 1967, has said the conduct conflicts with what his parents came to the country for. He has argued that Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Buddhist candidates should be treated equally under the Constitution, and that people who believe only Christians can hold office are mistaken.
A Neurosurgeon With Two Decades of GOP Grassroots Activism
Razack founded the Spine & Brain Neurosurgery Center in Orlando and serves as an adjunct professor of healthcare law at Florida A&M University's College of Law, according to Florida Politics. He holds both an M.D. and a J.D. and served as president of the Florida Neurosurgical Society from 2005 to 2006.
He first became active in Republican primary politics nearly two decades ago through the Tea Party movement and opposition to the Affordable Care Act, though the 2026 race marks his first campaign for public office. On July 9, he appeared alongside campaign manager Lou Marin at the West Orange Chamber of Commerce's Hob Nob event.
Florida Among States Fueling a National Rise in Anti-Muslim Complaints
The friction in the district echoes a broader national trend. The Council on American-Islamic Relations recorded an all-time high of 8,683 civil rights and discrimination complaints involving Muslims nationwide in 2025, up slightly from 8,658 the year before, according to CAIR California. In its 2026 Civil Rights Report, the organization named Florida as one of five states, alongside Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas, driving the increase in anti-Muslim complaints over the past three years.
An Open Seat, a Crowded Field, and a Low Bar to Win
The race for Florida's 11th Congressional District opened up after U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, who had served 16 years in Congress and previously spent 28 years in the state legislature, announced April 28 that he would not seek re-election. Five Republicans are competing in the Aug. 18 primary: Razack, Carey Baker, Ivette Palomo, Joe Strada and Wilkins, with Razack ranking as the second-highest campaign spender behind HVAC executive Strada, per Florida Politics.
The district carries a Cook Partisan Voter Index of R+7 and stretches from the retirement community of The Villages in Sumter County into growing western Orlando suburbs, after redistricting pushed it further into those suburbs and removed its southernmost territory. Florida's plurality primary system means no runoff is required, so whichever candidate draws the most votes next Tuesday, Aug. 18, will win the nomination regardless of whether they capture a majority, according to FutureSearch. The winner will be heavily favored in the solidly Republican district in the Nov. 3 general election.
Federal Statutes and an Unanswered Question About Charges
Communicating a threat to injure someone by phone, internet or mail is a federal felony under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), while a pattern of conduct intended to cause reasonable fear of death or serious injury can be prosecuted under the federal stalking statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2261A, according to Georgetown Law. The U.S. Department of Justice also maintains an Election Threats Task Force that partners with local law enforcement to investigate threats and harassment aimed at candidates and election workers.
It remains unclear whether local or federal authorities will pursue charges connected to the July 10 incident reported to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Razack's campaign continues in the meantime, with the Aug. 18 primary set to decide which Republican advances to face voters in November.
