Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson has announced she would not run for reelection in November, officially ending weeks of speculation about her future in Washington.
“I decided to not seek reelection because it’s time,” the 83-year-old House Democrat told the Miami Herald. “It has been the joy of my life, absolute honor to serve the people of South Florida.”
Wilson, who was first elected to the House in 2010, had filed to run for reelection in September. However, after missing over 50 votes between April 17 and May 20, rumors began circulating that she would not seek another term. Her office said on May 14 that she had missed votes because she was recovering from eye surgery.
At least two Florida Democrats — state Sen. Shevrin Jones and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert — are considering running for Wilson’s seat, as NOTUS first reported. Wilson told the Miami Herald she is not yet ready to endorse any candidate to succeed her.
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Jones on Wednesday announced that he did not plan to seek another term in the Florida state Senate.
“While one chapter of public service may be coming to a close in my life, I believe another chapter may be just beginning,” Jones said. At the time, Wilson had yet to publicly say whether she would be on November’s ballot.
The offices of Jones and Gilbert did not respond to NOTUS’ requests for comment on whether they planned to run for Florida’s 24th Congressional District. In a statement following Wilson’s announcement, Jones thanked her “for a lifetime of service, leadership, and love for the community she has faithfully served. Her impact will be felt for generations to come.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Wilson in a statement, calling her “an unyielding champion of our children, a defender of the disadvantaged and a voice for the voiceless.”
“The House Democratic Caucus will deeply miss Rep. Wilson and her iconic hats — more than just her signature style, they represent her many roles throughout a lifetime of service. We are forever indebted to her for her tenacity, and we wish her and her family the very best in this next chapter,” Jeffries added.
While Wilson initially denied a report from Axios that she was not running for reelection, calling it a “crazy rumor,” she told the Miami Herald that she made the decision to not run a while ago, but wanted to be “politically strategic” about announcing it because Florida was redrawing congressional districts.
“I figured if I announced that I was retiring, what would the Legislature and the governor do? What would they say? Would District 24 be an easy target because Frederica is no longer there? I’m a strong candidate,” she said. “With me not here, would that weaken the survival of District 24?”
Wilson said she plans to finish her current term and will remain politically engaged.
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