Charlie Crist indicated he will run for the Pinellas County Congressional seat David Jolly is giving up on due to the recent dramatic Florida Supreme Court ruling.
Advertisement
The majority opinion said that the Republican-drawn map impermissibly attached a heavily Democratic piece of St. Petersburg to a safely Democratic district across Tampa Bay, ensuring that the district now held by Jolly “was more favorable to the Republican Party”. He’s at least the fourth Republican in the race.
The Florida Supreme Court this month ordered the Legislature to redraw eight congressional districts, which it found violated a 2010 constitutional amendment aimed at preventing gerrymandering.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to represent the people of Pinellas County in the U.S. House, taking their voice to Washington, D.C., and delivering results for our neighbors and community, Jolly said in a press release. In Pinellas, a seat that leaned a little Republican (because of a wide swath of Democrats taken out of the district), there will be an open Congressional seat for the second time in under two years. He defeated former CFO Alex Sink and Libertarian Lucas Overby in a special election in 2014.
Jolly, who worked for Young as an aide and then in finance, faced no serious opposition in November 2014 and was re-elected.
Jolly supports same-sex marriage and voted against a Republican plan to make changes to Medicare.
“I do believe in personal freedom”, Jolly said Monday when asked about his stance on same-sex marriage.
Jolly said he will “reject the politics of division and class warfare that have defined the current Administration”, keep pushing for increased health care benefits for veterans and continue to criticize President Obama on his foreign policy.
Advertisement
“We will not tolerate failed foreign policies and wavering alliances that leave America vulnerable to a unsafe treaty with Iran, weakness before our enemies and a failed policy to combat ISIS”, Jolly added. Marco Rubio. Democrats U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson are seeking the democratic nomination. After Crist launched his assertion Monday, Republican political commentator Ana Navarro tweeted, “Like Jason from Friday the 13th”.
