Republican Bill McClure formally announces his CD 4 run

CD 4 Republican Bill McClure and his immediate family.

A month after telling FloridaPolitics.com that he was going to run in Congressional District 4, St. Johns County Commissioner Bill McClure formally announced his campaign Monday via news release.

Sounding populist themes similar in tenor to what he said last month, McClure, a Republican, opined: “Congress is broken. And electing the same kind of career politicians who are focused on what’s politically correct won’t fix it.

“That’s why we need someone who’s done more than just run for re-election — we need someone with a proven record in the private sector of tackling tough problems, speaking their mind, and creating jobs to build a bright future for our children and grandchildren.”

“The last thing we need in Washington is another politician looking out for his next re-election or how to pay back one of his fat cat lobbyist buddies,” McClure said. “That’s not how you do things in the real world. I’m running for Congress because I think we need a businessman, not another politician, to take on the serious challenges facing America.”

“I may be new to politics,” he added, “but I’ve shown what you can accomplish when you apply conservative principles to government. Whether it’s securing our borders, ending the threat of radical Islamic terrorism or making our economy grow again, another career politician won’t get the job done. I’m a businessman who will make the right decisions, even if they are politically incorrect. Our nation’s future is too important for anything else.”

The news release describes McClure’s accomplishments in the private sector, which include having “helped start three health care IT firms, creating thousands of jobs across the country and hundreds in the state of Florida alone.”

In his capacity as a St. John’s County commissioner, McClure claims to have “demonstrated his commitment to conservative principles by casting the deciding vote against a referendum to increase the sales tax designed to bail out special interests.”

He then said to have “implemented a fiscally conservative plan that has rejuvenated St. John’s County and led to national recognition, including by CNN Money as one of the top job-creating regions in the country.”

Under McClure’s leadership, the release continues, St. John’s County added more than 11,000 new jobs and “drastically improved its bond rating from AA- to AA+.”

McClure is one in a crowded field of Republican hopefuls, including former Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, Rep. Lake Ray, Hans Tanzler III, and perennial candidate Deborah Pueschel.

Additionally, Democrat Eric Smith announced his plans to run last week.

Despite the mounting competition, McClure apparently feels he has a path forward.

McClure’s release also notes he “served on the St. John’s and Nassau County Economic Development Team and with both the St. John’s and Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves on the Executive Board of the North East Florida Regional Council, which encompasses all of the new congressional district.”