Former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos has jumped into a race in Florida's 8th Congressional District.
The surprise late entry came after U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, a Rockledge Republican, already paid a $10,440 qualifying fee to seek re-election. But sources suggest that Posey will most likely retire.
Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican, served as Florida Senate President from 2010 to 2012. He has remained active in politics statewide and particularly on the Florida Atlantic Coast.
In 2021, he drew some attention for maintaining a Federal Election Commission account well after ending a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2011. As of the end of 2016, Friends of Mike H had nearly $893,000 in cash on hand. For years after his U.S. Senate campaign ended, he used the money to support various candidates he supported.
A federal campaign account can remain open so long as a candidate has a genuine interest in running for federal office in the future, and that moment appears to be now.
Haridopolos on April 26 filed to run for Congress roughly an hour before a noon deadline to jump in the race.
That immediately fueled speculation that Posey will retire, but that doesn't mean a completely clear path to the House for Haridopolos.
Republicans Joe Babits and John Hearton both already qualified with the intent of challenging Posey in a Republican Primary.
Hearton closed the first quarter of 2024 with almost $99,000 in cash on hand, and had raised almost $260,000 over the course of the cycle. Babits raised a more modest $82,000 and had about $13,000 in cash at the end of March. Republican Brian Jones, who hadn't qualified as of 11 a.m., finished the first quarter with more than $72,000 in the bank for a run.
Democrats Sandy Kennedy and Daniel McDow have already qualified for the ballot as well and will face each other in a Democratic Primary. McDown had about $9,200 in cash at the end of the quarter, while Kennedy has reported no fundraising to date.
But CD 8 remains a heavily Republican seat. In the 2020 Presidential Election, about 58% of voters in the district voted for Republican Donald Trump.
In 2022, Posey easily won re-election over Democrat JoAnne Terry. Posey didn't face a Primary challenger that year but won 62% of the vote against GOP opponent Scott Caine in a GOP Primary in 2020.
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