Rep. Dave Jolly formally announced he is ending his bid for Sen. Marco Rubio’s Florida Senate seat Friday.
Jolly hinted he believed the former GOP presidential hopeful was going to to run during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” earlier in the day.
He will now face Republican-turned-Democrat former Gov. Charlie Crist in the race to retain his House seat. The district was recently redrawn to include more Democrats.
Rubio had previously said he would not seek re-election, but in the wake of the terrorist attack at an Orlando gay nightclub that left 50 dead, including the killer, and 53 wounded, is now considering it.
“Obviously, I take very seriously everything that’s going on — not just Orlando, but in our country,” Rubio told reporters Wednesday. “I’ve enjoyed my service here a lot. So I’ll go home later this week, and I’ll have some time with my family, and then if there’s been a change in our status I’ll be sure to let everyone know.”
The GOP primary is slated to take place Aug. 30.
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