Amanda Makki

Amanda Makki is a Republican running for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which includes most of Pinellas County from Downtown St. Petersburg to Clearwater Beach. She is seeking to defeat Charlie Crist.

As an infant, Makki and her family escaped an oppressive religious regime, known for its persecution of non-Muslims and silencing of non-believers, to come to America. With the little resources they could quickly scrape together, they escaped to come to the Land of Opportunity, where anyone with a dream and a good work ethic could become successful. While Makki’s father studied to become a surgeon, her mother was a childcare provider and delivered Yellow Pages to provide the family’s income. Makki witnessed her parents drive to succeed and commitment to the American Dream, which motivated her to start working at the young age of 15.

Known for her tenacious work ethic from her younger years, Makki started out as a file clerk in a doctor’s office, and worked full time as an office manager and medical biller while earning her college degree. It is through working so closely and empathetically with patients in need that fostered Makki’s desire to serve others.

Her passion for service of people evolved into a passion to serve her country; as a Farsi language speaker, Makki was appointed by the George W. Bush Administration to serve the Army General Counsel at the Pentagon weeks after the September 11 terrorist acts. It was in this role she began to refine her knowledge of foreign policy.

Makki went on to serve as senior advisor in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and before the age of 40, became one of the youngest partners at K&L Gates, one of the nation’s premier law firms. While Makki’s work at K&L Gates focused on health care policy, she also was engaged in the firm’s pro-bono efforts providing assistance through Legal Counsel for the Elderly, a leading provider of free legal services.

A fisherman, golfer and bike rider on the Pinellas Trail, Amanda has lived in the 13th Congressional district of Florida since 2015. She is active in her faith and worships at Starkey Road Baptist Church.