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The Republican candidate to Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, addresses fans at a rally on Sept. 6 in Orlando. (John Raoux / AP)
Mike DeBonis
A Congress reporter covering the House of Representatives
Conservative Republican Ron DeSantis, a governor of Florida, has resigned from his position to focus on his campaign, he told President Paul D. Ryan on Monday.
DeSantis, 39, has represented Florida's 6th congressional district since 2013. He will face Democratic mayor Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, in a very close clash in November.
"As a Republican candidate for the governorship of Florida, it is clear to me that I will likely miss the vast majority of our remaining session days for this convention," wrote DeSantis. "In these circumstances, it would be inappropriate for me to accept a salary. In order to honor my principles and protect the taxpayer, I am resigning officially from the House of Representatives right now. "
A spokesman for Ryan confirmed the receipt of DeSantis's letter.
The Washington Post announced Monday that DeSantis had spoken four times at conferences organized by a conservative activist who said that African Americans owe their freedom to whites and that "the only serious racial war" in the country was against whites.
[GOP candidate for Fla. governor spoke at racially charged events]
DeSantis has missed 43 of the House's 80 votes since July – including 14 votes last week – according to the GovTrack database. In his letter, DeSantis requested that his resignation be retroactive to September 1 for pay purposes.
"It's not a decision I take lightly," he wrote. "It has been an honor to serve the people of Florida's Sixth Congressional District, and I look forward to serving them, as well as the rest of Florida, as the next governor of our state."
[Trump colors the fall campaign landscape: ‘He’s been the only thing that matters’]
A member of the home-freedom caucus, DeSantis has become one of President Trump's most aggressive advocates on Capitol Hill and has criticized the Department of Justice and Trump's investigation of special advocates.
DeSantis was one of six members of the House looking for governorships across the country. The remaining gubernatorial candidates are Republicans Kristi L. Noem of South Dakota and Stevan Pearce of New Mexico, Democrats Tim Walz of Minnesota, Jared Polis of Colorado and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Brunswick. Mexico.
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