Despite being elected to Congress for the first time last year, U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., has opened the door to running for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Jolly spoke to the Tampa Bay Times and said he is looking at running for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla., but his impending wedding is on his mind. So are his commitments to his Pinellas County district. Rubio announced on Monday that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination and is not expected to run for a second term in the Senate.
"My absolute commitment is to Pinellas County," Jolly told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday. Even as I listen to folks about the Senate race, every bit of my consideration is being done through the lens of what this means for Pinellas County."
Jolly, a former aide to longtime U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., ran in a special election early last year needed after his former boss died. Beating former state CFO Alex Sink in an upset in the special election, Jolly held on to his seat in November with ease as the Democrats failed to run a candidate against him.
There are signs that there could be a large field of candidates looking at running to replace Rubio in the Senate. U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced on Tuesday that he was exploring running for the Senate. Former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, also said on Tueasday he was looking at entering the Senate race. Other potential Republican candidates include U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford. U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., launched a Senate bid last month while U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has left the door open to challenging him in the Democratic primary.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
