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Left: William Braddock looks through papers during a June 2021 hearing, Tuesday, in Clearwater, Fla. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File). Right: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Wilmington International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Wilmington, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

A former congressional candidate in Florida is headed to prison for threating to kill his opponent — and eventual winner — in the 2021 Republican primary.

William Robert Braddock III, 41, was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty in February to interstate transmissions of threat to injure. His target was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna , the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

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According to prosecutors, Braddock called Luna’s friend and said he would “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make her “disappear.”

“I will be the next congressman for this District. Period. End of discussion,” he said. “And anybody going up against me is f—ing ignorant for doing so. [Luna’s] ignorant so I don’t have a problem taking her out, but I’m not going to do that dirty work myself obviously.”

After making the threats, Braddock allegedly fled to the Philippines where he was arrested and later deported back to the United States.

More from Law&Crime: ‘I hope they have makeup wipes in prison’: Lawmaker slams trans community as ‘mentally ill’ after suspect threatened to ‘assassinate’ her on social media

As Law&Crime previously reported, Luna and Braddock were running for Florida’s 13th Congressional District to replace then-U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat, after he vacated his seat in order to run for governor — a race he ultimately lost. Luna won the primary and then the general election. She filed an injunction against Braddock in June 2021 after he made the alleged threatening call and had been stalking her, according to The Associated Press.

“I do not feel safe and I am currently in fear for my life from Mr. Braddock,” Luna reportedly said in her petition.

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