Florida Rep. Bill Posey becomes latest Republican to announce retirement

Rep. Bill Posey (R-Florida) announced Friday that he will retire at the end of this year, adding to a wave of retirements in Congress.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life and Katie’s to represent her in Congress,” Posey said in a statement. “And polls suggest that because of YOUR support, I could remain in office forever, and we were looking forward to another vigorous campaign for a final term.”

“However, earlier this week, circumstances beyond my control now force me to be suspicious of my re-election campaign,” he added.

Posey, 76, has represented Florida’s 8th Congressional District since 2008. According to Cook Political Reportthe district is solidly Republican.

The Florida lawmaker said he hopes to help former President Trump get reelected and said his goal is to see state Senate President Mike Haridopolos replace him in the chamber.

“For many years, Mike served as chairman of the Congressional Finance Committee, while I directed him to replace me,” Posey said. “Mike was, and continues to be, my first choice to represent you, me and our district in Congress.”

Without going into too many personal details, the stars aligned over the past week and Mike decided he was ready for Congress,” he continued, highlighting Haridopolos’ conservative values ​​and strong work ethic. “I enthusiastically support him and will do everything I can to help him get elected.”

Posey’s announcement comes after a number of other Republican lawmakers announced they also would not seek reelection in 2024, and others — such as former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and former Reps. Mike Gallagher (Illinois) and Ken Buck (Colo.) – who left Congress before the end of his term.

While Posey didn’t mention what it was like inside the House in his announcement, many of the Republicans leaving office expressed a common theme for his departure: the toxicity of the Capitol.