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Florida Congressmen Talk 'Holding Pattern' In House Speaker Race

Sascha Cordner
/
WFSU-FM

There’s a lot of speculation surrounding outgoing House Speaker John Boehner’s replacement. But, some Florida Congressmen hopes that decision will come soon.

Four Florida Congressmen, vying for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio, made their pitch in Tallahassee Wednesday. Among them were Democratic Florida Congressmen Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy.

There's also David Jolly, who joked with reporters about taking over for Boehner.

“A lot of candidates. A lot of elected officials. So, you’re looking to break news this morning. I can tell you that I am not a candidate…for Speaker of the House,” joked Jolly to laughter, after a slight pause. “But, I am a candidate for the United States Senate.”

Jolly along with fellow Republican Florida Congressman Ron Desantis spoke during an annual legislative meeting hosted by the Associated Press.

Daniel Webster, a Republican from Central Florida, is  still one of the contenders. Desantis says even before Congressman Kevin McCarthy ended his bid, he had every intention of nominating and voting for Webster.

“My sense is that Dan [Webster] probably had 50 members who were going to vote for him in the nomination ballot, and I think what Dan needs to do is show that he’s growing that support, and if he can come back when we go back into session next week, and show that he’s adding people and you start to see people come out for Dan, then I think he’ll have momentum. If he’s kind of stuck at where he was, then I think there will be other people who will try to seize the gavel. So, we’ll wait and see. But, I think Paul’s [Ryan] decision is probably the most important.”

Paul Ryan, who ran on Mitt Romney’s ticket back in 2012, is currently facing pressure to take the role. DeSantis says he believes the race is currently in a holding pattern, until Ryan makes a final decision.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.