FLORIDA — Republican U.S. Representative Dennis Ross is causing quite a shake with his surprise announcement that he's not seeking re-election.

  • Rep. Dennis Ross decided not to seek re-election
  • Republican party scrambling to figure out who will run
  • Sen. Kelli Stargel, Rep. Ben Albritton both considered
  • Both decided not to run on April 14

Now the party is scrambling to figure out who will run to fill his seat. Republican Insiders in Polk County suspected St. Sen. Kelli Stargel or St. Rep. Ben Albritton, both Republicans, would consider running.

On April 14, both said they’ve decided not to run, and instead, stick to their state senatorial campaigns. 

Kelli Stargel posted to Facebook: “Many people encouraged me to consider a run for Congress. While I appreciate the confidence and support from so many friends throughout the community, I have decided to continue seeking to serve my community in the Florida Senate. At this time, I believe the Florida Senate is the best place I can make a difference by protecting our values and keeping Florida the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Rep. Ben Albritton, (R) told Bay News 9 he didn’t want to run for Congress because he already has 60 endorsements for his state senatorial campaign. He also said he wanted to be around for his teenage sons.

Both Stargel and Albritton thanked Ross for his service.

The chair of the Republican Party in Polk County, J.C. Martin, said more candidates will probably come forward in the next few days now that these two have announced they’re not running.

“A lot of folks are checking with spouses and family and friends to make sure they’re ready to run and I think that list will start shaking out within the next few days. I would expect we’ll have between four and six people running,” said J.C. Martin.

Loretta Miller of Clermont and Curtis Rogers already have active Republican campaigns in the race.

St. Sen. Tom Lee, (R) told POLITICO he is considering a run. Ed Shoemaker, a conservative Republican out of Lakeland and Trump supporter, announced he plans to run.

However, the clock is ticking. Candidates on both sides have until May 4 to qualify to run.

Ross’ district 15 seat includes portions of Lake County, Polk County and eastern Hillsborough County.

The Democrats have six people running for the seat, including Andrew Learned, Cameron Magnuson, Raymond Pena, James Pilkington, Jeffrey Rabinowitz, and Greg Williams.

Learned has raised the most out of the Democrats, with around $64,000 in his campaign.