Florida GOP Congressman Bill Posey–who was a birther before joining MAGA–announced on Friday he would not seek reelection for the 8th District seat, one week after the deadline for candidates to file to run for his seat but curiously after his personal choice to succeed him quietly filed to be a candidate, Politico reports.
Posey said that he planned to run for reelection, however “circumstances beyond his control” that arose last week will prevent him from seeking a ninth term, and he was throwing his support behind former state senate leader Mike Haridopolos, who happened to file the appropriate paperwork to run for the office with little fanfare although Posey was highly favored to win reelection in the bright red district.
The timing of Posey’s announcement after the filing deadline meant a number of possible challengers for the Congressional seat opted to file for other races. Under Florida law, a candidate for certain offices can only appear once on the ballot; if they filed for the GOP Congressional primary, they could not run for the GOP nomination of lower offices. By postponing his announcement, Posey hands the Party nomination–along with his endorsements and supporters–to Haridopolos.