Drew Wilson
U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho is calling it quits after four terms representing Florida’s 3rd Congressional District.
The Gainesville Republican announced his decision Tuesday, though he has foreshadowed it for years — during his first run, he pledged to limit himself to four terms in Washington.
He affirmed that pledge last year, telling a Florida Politics Florida Politics reporter to “bank” on it.
Still, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was quick to paint Yoho’s exit as a positive sign for 2020.
“Just a quick reminder that Republicans in safe seats don’t usually retire if they think their party is going to win back the majority in Congress next year,” DCCC southern regional press secretary Avery Jaffe said in a news release.
Though Yoho’s exit will open the door for a new representative in the North Central Florida district, his replacement will likely be a Republican.
According to the most recent book closing report from the Florida Division of Elections the GOP holds a 25,000-voter registration advantage in CD 3, which covers Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Marion, Putnam and Union counties.
There are already a pair of Republicans running for the seat: Judson Sapp and Amy Pope Wells.
Of the two, Sapp is likely more familiar to voters. He ran for the seat in 2018, losing to Yoho in the Republican primary.
His 2020 campaign has gotten off to a fast start, however. Within hours of announcing his campaign, Sapp said he had collected more than $100,000 in contributions. He also recently earned an endorsement from MavPAC.
