This news comes as a complete surprise to this Floridian
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who has struggled to boost his approval rating because of close ties to President George W. Bush, announced Tuesday that he will not seek a second term in 2010.
Martinez, 62, said at a news conference that he wants to spend more time with his family, and made his decision public now because he wanted to give other Republican candidates enough time to mount their campaigns.
Martinez was elected in 2004 after serving as the U.S. secretary for Housing and Urban Development in the Bush administration. He served as general chairman of the Republican National Committee for 10 months, resigning in October 2007.
My problems with Martinez stem from his chairmanship of the RNC than from anything he has done as Florida’s junior Senator. Who would run to replace him? The list is long
Former Lt. Governors Toni Jennings and Frank Brogan, Former House Speaker Allan Bense, not to mention members of the Florida congressional delegation. It will be interesting to see who will run.
Update- A Wizbang reader reminded me of former Governor Jeb Bush. I blogged in 2006 dismissing the idea of Jeb Bush running for President or being chosen as someone’s VP. Those opinions I will still apply to his running for the Senate. The former Governor is back in the private sector, and doing well. I also believe his wife wasn’t very comfortable in the public spotlight. No Bush won’t run in 2010.
There is a recently retired Florida Congressman who recently said he might not be through with politics. His name is Mark Foley.
