{mosads}Stearns was defeated in a Republican primary last summer by Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) after serving 12 terms from Florida’s 6th district. Yoho, a veterinarian and newcomer to politics, received strong backing from the Tea Party and defeated Democrat J. R. Gaillot in the general election.
As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee, Stearns was tasked with leading the GOP’s investigation of Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy after receiving loan guarantees from the Energy Department.
Conceding defeat to Yoho in August, Stearns said he was “disappointed” that he wouldn’t be able to continue leading investigations into the Obama administration.