Even though he lost his congressional seat last week, outgoing U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., says he wants to stay in Washington as a member of incoming President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Mica told the media on Monday night that he was talking to Trump’s team and has spoken to other key Republicans including former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Florida Gov. Rick Scott.
“If given the opportunity, I would be greatly honored,” Mica told The Hill. “Everybody’s been talking to me. Everywhere I go, it’s: ‘Are you going to be DOT secretary?’”
With his background, which includes serving 24 years in Congress, Mica said he could help get Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure to the finish line.
“They've got to get a big package through in a hurry,” Mica told The Hill. “You don't want to be just a show horse. I'm a work horse. I want the ability to make a difference.”
Now 73, Mica has a been prominent in Florida politics for four decades. First elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1976, Mica moved into the federal service in the 1980s when he served as a staffer for then U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, R-Fla., eventually rising to become her chief of staff. Mica won federal office in his own right in 1992. During his time on Capitol Hill, Mica often focused on transportation issues, capped by a stint as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during 2011 and 2012.
In recent years, Mica’s district has been impacted by various redistricting efforts. While previous incarnations of his district included parts of Northeast Florida, going as far north as St. Johns County, it became more focused in Central Florida in 2012. After beating then U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Fla., in a rare matchup of two congressional incumbents battling in the primary in 2012, Mica’s district was even further changed by the court ordered redistricting set up before the 2016 election cycle. Democrat Stephanie Murphy upset Mica in last week’s general election.
