After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

Unless there is some upheaval by voters in the next two election cycles, Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St.Petersburg, will be running for minority leader rather than House speaker as he was technically required to declare. In an Oct. 11 letter to House Clerk Bob Ward, Rouson, a former Pinellas County prosecutor, formally announced his "intention to stand for election as speaker for the 2014-2016 term."

Libertarian stalwart and tea party godfather Congressman Ron Paul of Texas has endorsed Dr. Ted Yoho, Republican nominee for North Central Floridas 3rdCongressional District. Ted Yoho is one of 11 House candidates across the United States to be endorsed by Paul. I endorse Ted Yoho for Floridas 3rdDistrict. His commitment to the Constitution and individual liberties is exactly what we need more of in the House, said Congressman Paul. Yoho thanked Dr. Paul for his support.

Bob Crowder, the Martin County sheriff who lost to Allen West in the District 18 Republican congressional primary, is going to back the Democrat in the general election, Patrick Murphy. Well, sort of. It's actually his wife Debbie who stepped out in front of her husband and released the statement. "While he was unable to compete against West's millions in out-of-state tea party money ...Bob was committed to giving Republican voters a choice in the primary, rather than letting the party dictate who our representative would be," she said.

Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, who abruptly ended his re-election campaign after his name surfaced last month on a brothel client list, is now stepping away from his job as the head of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce.I am concerned that my presence has become a distraction from the important mission of the chamber, Horner stated in a release. As CEO, the chambers welfare is my top priority.