Democrat Jessica Ehrlich will not challenge Republican David Jolly in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Ehrlich announced her decision Monday afternoon.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to not run for Congress at this time,” Ehrlich said in a statement first shared with POLITICO. “New and exciting opportunities have come my way which will help me better serve my neighbors, the voters of the 13th, and all Floridians. I would like to thank all those who reached out to me encouraging me to run for their unwavering support and know that we will continue to fight together for a brighter future.”
Those new and exciting opportunities likely include appearing as a commentator on FOX News, something this blog noticed Ehrlich was doing more frequently in recent months.
Ehrlich ran in 2012 against the late Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young, holding him under 60 percent for the first time since 1992, notes Steven Shephard of POLITICO. Ehrlich launched another campaign last year, but Democrats recruited the well-funded Alex Sink after Young passed away. Jolly defeated Sink by a 2-point margin on March 11.
Maybe now, the “Ehrlich for Congress” sign which still hangs outside of Ehlrich’s old campaign office can come down.
P.S. Ehrlich’s not running definitely plays into my theory that Democrats are trying to clear the field in CD 13 to make way for developer Joel Cantor to run.