FL-19: Wexler to Step Down

Here’s a surprise:

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, plans to resign from Congress.

He plans to announce his plans at a news conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Boca Raton.,

A Democratic source with knowledge of Wexler’s plans said he is likely to take a public policy job that deals with the Middle East.

Democrats shouldn’t have to worry about holding Wexler’s seat — Obama won Wexler’s CD by a 65-34 margin in 2008, and John Kerry earned a similar margin four years earlier, so the real race to watch will be the Democratic primary. The St. Pete Times has identified a few potential Wexler successors:

You can bet every state lawmaker and city/county commission in spitting distance would consider jumping in since in a special election, anything can happen. Plus, local officials can run for a federal office without having to resign their current job. The names already being dropped are state Sen. Jeremy Ring, State Sen. Ted Deutch, West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel and former Broward County Commissioner Ben Graber.

RaceTracker Wiki: FL-19

22 thoughts on “FL-19: Wexler to Step Down”

  1. (FYI, I used to live in what’s currently FL-20.)

    Is Ted Deutch at all related to Peter Deutch (I’m not sure about spelling)?

  2. and probably the safe choice, as far as liberals go. She’s one of the six that introduced the single payer resolution to the US Conference of Mayors, and has been a strong advocate of LGBT issues. Graber is also very liberal (he actually tried challenging Wexler from the left a couple years ago, if you remember).

    I don’t know enough about Ring or Deutch to state an opinion, but the field being described looks fine so far.

  3. He ran as an independent in 2008 after he decided he couldn’t primary Wexler.  Seems like a fairly stupid thing to do considering his campaign, from what I heard, was basically “Wexler was an idiot on Colbert”.  

    But I can’t completely blame him for running: it is a fun thing to do.  (Sorry)

  4. current palm beach county supervisor of elections and local liberal leader, former state rep… we could simply do no better than sending her to DC.

    From the Palm Beach Post…

    Susan Bucher keeps fighting until the end

    By THOMAS R. COLLINS

    Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

    Tuesday, April 22, 2008

    TALLAHASSEE – Rep. Susan Bucher peers at her Republican quarry with bespectacled eyes through a mane of black, curly hair.

    It’s parted perfectly straight on the right and held back with a barrette, keeping it out of her eyes – all the better for referring to her trusty documents piled high on her desk – critical at debate time. She has asked a question, and is waiting.

    The answers, almost always, aren’t good enough for her, judging by the tight-pressed lips and those raised eyebrows, which seem to say, What is WITH these people?

    But Bucher, the indefatigable inquisitor and the state GOP’s biggest pain-in-the-rear, is almost out of time for questions. The liberal Democrat from West Palm Beach has only seven days left in her last legislative session. She’s term-limited out.

    She delivered her farewell speech on the House floor on Tuesday.

    Bucher gave a nod to those who came before her, especially Rep. Ed Healey, for whom she worked as an aide for six years and whom she replaced when he died in office in 2000.

    “I learned that as a member, I not only have a right, I have a responsibility to ask questions in debate in order to represent my constituents who sent me here,” said Bucher, who is running for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

    An hour before the day’s session started, she said she was too busy to think about the speech, still dissecting “all these crazy bills” proposed by Republicans.

    Besides, she said, “If I said what I really thought I’d probably be kicked out.”

    Her questions often come after late nights – but more often, very early mornings – of research and color-coded highlighting of documents: yellow for important passages, pink for things that “make me mad.”

    Bucher came to the House after Healey died in the middle of the session in 2000 and was recruited to debate the Republicans on the budget a half-hour after being sworn in.

    “And so my place started to become established,” she said.

    Even House Speaker Marco Rubio, whose policies Bucher has railed against, praised her determination on Tuesday.

    “After nine years of working hard, and then knowing every single piece of legislation that comes up on the floor, knowing you’re going to lose virtually every vote and every motion that you make and every measure that you take, I think it takes a special person with a special amount of dedication to public service to do that,” Rubio said.

    “I don’t think there’s a more prepared member of the legislature than Susan, nor one more dogged in pursuing her principles,” House Minority Leader Dan Gelber said.

    Rep. Shelley Vana, Bucher’s Tallahassee roommate for six years, said she’ll be missed.

    “There will always be somebody like Susan,” Vana said. “I don’t know who that will be right now.”

    In her farewell remarks, a time when members often get emotional, Bucher bragged to Democratic Rep. Jack Seiler that she stayed a bulldog to the end.

    “He lost the bet,” Bucher said. “Unless he’s going to hit me, I don’t cry on the floor.”

  5. Not Wexler! He knows of such fun things to do, such as:

    “I enjoy cocaine because it’s a fun thing to do. I enjoy the company of prostitutes because it’s a fun thing to do. And if you compare those two things, it makes it even more fun.”

    I’m gonna miss that kind of brash openness….

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