Phil Ammann
Will Weatherford is the latest Florida Republican who will not run for Marco Rubio‘s U.S. Senate seat in 2016.
Citing family obligations, the former House Speaker made the announcement Wednesday afternoon on Facebook:
“There are many good candidates looking at a run for Florida’s open U.S. Senate seat next year but I will not be one of them. My wife and I have an agreement that I will not run for office while we still have children in diapers. I am enjoying my time with the family as well as life in the private sector. I look forward to seeing a great field of Republican candidates and holding a majority in the U.S. Senate.”
The Wesley Chapel Republican was one of several leading GOP names floated to replace Rubio, who announced his presidential campaign on Monday. Earlier, state CFO Jeff Atwater also confirmed he would not be running in 2016, even though he had polled strongest of all Republicans against Patrick Murphy, so far the only declared Democratic candidate.
U.S. Rep. David Jolly from Pinellas County told reporters this week he would consider a Senate bid in 2016, but a final decision remains far off.
