Staff Reports
Dan Raulerson is resigning from the Florida House.
The Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday that the Plant City Republican has announced he will resign his seat effective Aug. 15. The announcement, according to the report, comes about a month after he made public comments critical of House leadership.
Raulerson had back surgery, which kept him away from the Capitol this year, leading some members to speculate that he was planning to resign. But Raulerson dismissed the rumors, telling Florida Politics Capitol correspondent Jim Rosica in December it was “absolutely untrue.”
Raulerson, who was first elected to the Florida House in 2012, filed to run for re-election in February. State records show he has only raised $2,000 toward his re-election bid since filing to run.
Raulerson told the Tampa Bay Times that he changed his mind about running for re-election, saying he needed to focus on his health and his business.
Gov. Rick Scott will likely call a special election to replace Raulerson, but the timing could be tricky. The 2018 Legislative Session begins in January, and the first committee is scheduled for September.
Shawn Mathis Gilliam, a no-party affiliation candidate, is the only candidate who has filed to run for the House District 58 seat in 2018.
