GOP Rep. Ted Yoho
Just a day after the right-wing Sunshine State News reported that GOP Rep. Ted Yoho was
considering a Senate bid, the congressman himself clarified matters on C-SPAN. Actually, no, wait, he didn't. He just said
a bunch of conflicting things:
Yoho: "I have no intention to run for the Senate." [...]
Yoho: "It is ruled out." [...]
Host: "The story says, 'looking at entering the race but is far from making a final decision.'"
Yoho: "Real far."
Host: "Okay, so it's done—you're not gonna do it."
Yoho: "It's done."
"Ruled out" and "it's done" sound like definite "nos," but "no intention" and "real far" from making a decision are definitely
not "nos." Whatever, people change their minds all the time. If Yoho wants to be crystal clear about his plans, he can issue a clarification. If he doesn't, then we will still continue to view him as a possible Senate candidate.
And given how unsettled the Republican field is, that only makes sense. A new survey from St. Pete Polls confirms what we've seen elsewhere, finding Rep. David Jolly as the only contender in double digits in the five-man field (with just 10 percent); over 60 percent of GOP voters are undecided. If Yoho does indeed wind up with a new district that removes his rural base and would make it difficult for him to win renomination, as Matthew Isbell has theorized, then the Senate race might look a lot more appealing.