GOP rep sets date for Florida Senate decision with eye on Rubio

Rep. David Jolly says he’ll make an announcement on Friday about whether he’ll remain in the Republican primary for the open Florida Senate seat or run for reelection in his redistricted House seat.

The GOP congressman’s comment came during a Wednesday morning interview on “Fox and Friends,” and a Jolly official confirmed the announcement to Florida Politics.

{mosads}Jolly’s upcoming decision comes after he has said he would abandon his bid to replace retiring Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) if the former White House candidate changes his mind and decides to file for reelection. Jolly said he would call on his Republican opponents to drop out as well if Rubio ran.

“I will make an announcement Friday about my future intentions in Congress,” Jolly said, adding, “I would support Marco if he gets in the race.”

Republican party leaders, namely Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have been publicly urging Rubio to reverse course and run for his current seat, which could be pivotal in deciding which party controls the upper chamber.

Rubio had brushed off the calls from his colleagues and noted that his “close friend,” Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera (R), is running for his seat. He further tamped down speculation when it was reported he’d headline a fundraiser for López-Cantera the same day as the filing deadline on June 24.

But in the wake of the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub, Rubio said he needs to “pause and think” about his political future. In a Monday interview, Rubio said the shooting left him thinking about service to his country and community but stopped short of saying he was reconsidering his decision to not run for reelection.

Jolly has had difficulty breaking out of a crowded GOP field that also includes Rep. Ron DeSantis (Fla.) and businessmen Carlos Beruff and Todd Wilcox. He could decide to run for reelection even though court-ordered redistricting made his seat more Democratic-leaning.

A recent poll shows Jolly is in a dead heat with Democratic candidate and one-term Republican governor Charlie Crist for the Pinellas County district. Republicans are urging Jolly to jump back in the House race after former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker passed on it in April.

Florida’s primaries will be held on Aug. 30.