Florida Rep. Bill Posey becomes latest Republican to announce retirement

Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) announced Friday that he is retiring at the end of this year, adding to a wave of congressional retirements.

“It has been the greatest honor of Katie’s and my life to represent you in Congress,” Posey said in a statement. “And, polls suggest that because of YOUR support, I could remain in the job forever, and we were looking forward to another spirited campaign for a final term in office.”

“However, earlier this week circumstances beyond my control now require me to [suspend] my re-election campaign,” he added.

Posey, 76, has represented Florida’s 8th Congressional District since 2008. According to Cook Political Report, the district is solidly Republican.

The Florida lawmaker said he looks forward to helping former President Trump get reelected and said his goal was to see former state Senate President Mike Haridopolos replace him in the House.

“For many years, Mike has served as my Congressional Finance Committee Chairman, while I have mentored him to replace me,” Posey said. “Mike was, and remains, my first choice to represent you, me, and our district in Congress.”

“Without going into a lot of personal details, stars aligned during the past week and Mike decided he was ready for Congress,” he continued, highlighting Haridopolos’s conservative values and strong work ethic. “I enthusiastically endorse him and will do everything I can to help him get elected.”

Posey’s announcement comes after a slew of other GOP lawmakers announced they would also not seek reelection in 2024, and after others — such as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and former Reps. Mike Gallagher (Wis.) and Ken Buck (Colo.) — who left Congress before the end of the term.

While Posey didn’t mention what it was like within the House in his announcement, many of the Republicans leaving office voiced a common theme for their departure: the toxicity of Capitol Hill.