Peter SchorschU.S. Rep. Gwen Graham can breathe easier, at least if her former opponent’s chief aide knows what he’s talking about.
Jonathan Hayes, who was chief of staff for former Congressman Steve Southerland, has emailed members of the Bay County Republican Executive Committee saying the two-term Republican won’t seek a rematch against Graham in 2016.
“Just wanted to let you all know that Steve will not be running for CD 2 re-election,” Hayes wrote Monday in an email obtained by Florida Politics.
Southerland was first elected during the tea party movement wave of 2010.
Southerland’s intentions “will become public later this week or early next week,” wrote Hayes.
Hayes’ comments run counter to a story in conservative outlet Sunshine State News that said, “Whispers are growing louder that Steve Southerland could seek a rematch with Gwen Graham in 2016.”
Actually, those whispers are so “loud” that Hayes told his Republican colleagues that he has accepted a job as chief of staff for Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.
Hayes is the Republican State Committeeman from Bay County and, presumably, will be stepping down from that position.
Hayes email was in response to a Feb. 7 message from James Peacock inquiring what was being done to unseat Graham, who he said “did not take long … to fall in line with President Obama.”
Defeating Graham in 2016 will be “tough,” wrote Hayes, who notes that “the demographics are brutal with over 85,000 more Dems than Rs.”
As for Graham, she is “voting just right so that she isn’t seen as liberal.”
“Our base has to acknowledge that FL CD 2 is not a hard right district,” Hayes wrote. “I am afraid we gave this seat back to the Dems for the foreseeable future.”
In 2014, Graham beat Southerland in one of the country’s most expensive congressional races.
The Center for Responsive Politics listed the contest as the eighth-most expensive congressional race in the country, with more than $14 million spent.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this post.
