ORLANDO -- Florida U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said during a press conference Tuesday morning he will not seek a second term in 2010.
"Today, with deep love for this country and with sincere gratitude to the people who placed their trust in me, I announce that I will not run for reelection to the United States Senate," Martinez said.
During the speech, Martinez detailed the reasons he is leaving office.
"Some might try to characterize this decision in terms of political affairs. Some will say a re-election campaign would have been too difficult, but I've faced much tougher odds in political campaigns and in life," Martinez said. "My decision was not based on reelection prospects, but on what I want to do with the next eight years of my life. The thought of devoting more time to my roles as husband, dad, granddad, brother and son to the family I love and cherish, and to be 'Mel' to the friends I miss makes this decision far easier than one might think."
"So with two years left in my term, I make this announcement today in order to give the many qualified individuals who might choose to try to succeed me an opportunity to organize and gather support," Martinez said.
Martinez was elected in 2004 after serving as the U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban Development for President George W. Bush.
In 1998, Martinez was elected to serve as Orange County Chairman. He served until 2001.
Colleagues Weigh In
After Martinez' announcement, Florida senior Sen. Bill Nelson praised him, but stayed quiet on Democrats who might line up to run for what will be an open seat.
Nelson, following a previously scheduled speech in St. Petersburg, deflected questions about whom he might support for the post, and insisted that thanking Martinez for his many years of public service be the topic instead.
"Mel has been a good friend, a good Senate colleague and a good public servant, and I wish him well in the future," said Nelson, who was the keynote speaker Tuesday morning at the commissioning of a new Coast Guard cutter in St. Petersburg.
U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam also praised Martinez in a statement Tuesday.
"I was sorry to hear that my friend, Mel Martinez, has decided not to seek re-election to the U.S. Senate," Putnam said. "Mel's life's story is one of the great American success stories. Coming here as a teenage refugee from Communist Cuba, he rose to become a successful attorney, a member of President Bush's cabinet, and ultimately to represent his adopted home state in the Senate. We can all be proud of Mel's achievements and grateful for his service to his state and nation. I wish him and his family all the best as he continues to represent us and into the future."
Another prominent Central Florida politician honored Martinez as a man who broke barriers.
Osceola County Chairman John Quiñones said he understands how family can sometimes cause people to change their minds about life in politics.
He also said Martinez's decision will cause a lot of other people to change their minds about their political futures.
“Obviously there's going to be a lot of candidates that are going to jump into this race from both parties,” Quiñones said. “It’s gonna be a very intense campaign I would suspect, and it's gonna create a lot of buzz around the political arena.”
One Republican politician who may throw his hat into the ring is Attorney General Bill McCollum.
McCollum said at first his plan was to seek re-election. But now he says, “Given today's development, I will seriously consider and discuss with my family a race for this U.S. Senate seat, and we will share our decision at a later date."
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