They are jumping ship!
Stephanie Murphy, a Florida Democratic representative, announced that she would not be running for reelection next year.
In a statement, the congresswoman said she “believed in a citizen Congress,” saying that a citizen Congress would be one where ordinary citizens ran for office “in search of duty and service, not in search of a career.” The three-term congresswoman concluded her remarks by saying that she never intended her time in Congress would become a career. The statement also revealed that the Democrat had plans to spend more time with family while finding new ways to give back to the U.S.
However, Murphy’s statements draw attention to data from research and government transparency group, OpenSecrets, which revealed that Murphy was the 22nd Democrat in the House to declare her intention not to seek reelection.
Murphy’s decision to not seek reelection followed heavy criticism and scrutiny from conservative opposition, which included an aggressive redistricting proposal that, according to Orlando Weekly, would make it challenging for a Democrat to win.
After unseating 12-term Republican representative John Mica, Murphy entered Congress, quickly becoming an instrumental member of the Democratic caucus.
Expressing gratitude for the last five years, Murphy said she was “incredibly proud” of her accomplishments, saying that she had –– whether under Trump or Biden –– been lauded for her consistency, and being the most effective and bipartisan member of Congress.
After it was publicized that Murphy would not be seeking reelection, Republican State representative, Anthony Sabatini, who had announced he would challenge Murphy in next year’s election, tweeted that the America First campaign was making the swamp drain itself.
