Rep. Bill Young will seek reelection

Young, a 79-year-old who’s served in the House since first being elected in 1970, had been thought to be a prime candidate for retirement.

Young said during an appearance in his district alongside National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) that he would run again, joking that his wife would have run for his seat otherwise.

“Beverly told me that if I didn’t run, she was going to,” Young told supporters, as reported by the St. Petersburg Times. The prospect of his wife running for Congress led Young to think, “maybe I better stay on the job.”

Young’s decision means national Republicans won’t have to worry about defending his seat in Florida’s 10th congressional district, a centrist district which Democrats would have had a competitive chance of winning.

While Republicans are seen as most likely to gain seats in this fall’s midterm congressional elections, 18 of their House members have announced they would not run for reelection, either to retire or seek another office. 15 Democratic lawmakers, by contrast, have said they’re leaving the House.

Sessions told Young’s supporters that the congressman’s appearance Saturday night would be far from a wistful affair.

“I will say to you, this is not Bill Young’s swan song tonight,” he said.
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