Frank Torres
St. Cloud Republican state Rep. Mike LaRosa said Tuesday morning he won’t be running for Florida’s 9th Congressional District next year, saying:
“Looking ahead to 2016, I’ve received overwhelming encouragement from my family, community and colleagues, and although I’m totally fed up with politicians in Washington D.C. and believe that Washington and Congress need a complete and total overhaul, I’ve decided not to run for the U.S. House next year.
“For now, I will continue to serve the people of Central Florida as their State Representative.
“There is still much work to be done in the Florida legislature, including funding our educational institutions and cutting taxes for Florida families.”
LaRosa would have added even more star power to an already stacked race to replace incumbent Alan Grayson, which features the incumbent’s former Congressional Director Susannah Randolph, biochemist Dena Minning, former state Rep. Ricardo Rangel, and businesswoman Valleri Crabtree.
Businessman Wayne Liebnitzsky is the only Republican filed to run. LaRosa would have been favored in that matchup had he run.
The 9th District leans left, but under newly drawn district lines would be a little more hospitable to a known Republican. There has been speculation that U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, who is running for Speaker of U.S. House and faces a tough challenge in the newly drawn 10th District, could make the jump.
