Rep. West: I'm not running for Senate
(CNN) - Republican Rep. Allen West of Florida will run for re-election to the House in 2012, closing the door on a Senate bid, the tea party favorite announced in a statement Monday.
West said he considered launching a primary bid for the Republican Senate nomination to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the next election, but ultimately decided he would be most effective as a member of the House.
"For the last two weeks, I have traveled the Congressional District and spoken clearly to the citizens what while we have made progress these last seven months, there is still so much to accomplish for our country," West said in a statement. "I believe the place where I can best effect the needed change is from the People's House – the House of Representatives."
The freshman representative won a tough election in 2010 with the backing of members of the tea party movement, becoming a national voice for the movement.
Former Sen. George LeMieux, former state Majority Leader Adam Hasner, businessman Craig Miller and retired Colonel Mike McCalister are among the candidates competing for the GOP Senate nomination in Florida.
- CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.
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@Gene Brady......................lol....wow, from now on whenever someone proves themselves to be a total laughable buffoon they will be referred to as a "Gene Brady".
Has this loudmouth ever held a job that wasn't paid for by the taxpayers? Why are the GOP politicians such socialists?
clear out the garbage –
maybe clear the garbage out of your brain? rangel is in the house, NOT the senate.
I think a guy that has a higher security clearence than the president SHOULD be elected to the Senate....either that or put in the NUT HOUSE and I prefer the latter over the former. If the people of Florida learned anything in 2010 they'll send this guy packing along with their sorry govenor when they can boot him out as well.
To Gene Brady, not a fair comment to make. Their are plenty of respectable African American Republicans out there, the problem is, they parade the nutcases out their like West, Cain, Michael Steele and others to show their "diversity" when they should be showcasing people like Colin Powell and others like himself. Now to the thread, West could not win a statewide election and probably will lose his seat. That is why he did not run. Nice try Tea piers!