Mario Diaz-Balart Will Run to Succeed His Brother

[ccharles000]

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R) announced his retirement on Thursday, touching off an interesting chain reaction in South Florida.

His younger brother, Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R), immediately announced that he will give up his neighboring 25th district seat to run in Lincoln Diaz-Balart's slightly more Republican-friendly 21st district.

"This is a natural move for me; in my years of public service at both the federal and state levels, I have had the privilege of representing most of the communities that make up Congressional District 21, including Hialeah, Westchester, Doral, Kendall, Miami Lakes, Hialeah Gardens, Medley and Palmetto Bay," Mario Diaz-Balart said in a statement. "As the only Broward native in the U.S. House of Representatives, I look forward to the opportunity of representing Broward’s residents."

With Mario Diaz-Balart making the jump to the 21st district race, the open-seat race in his district becomes a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats.

Mario Diaz-Balart beat longtime Cuban-American activist Joe Garcia by 6 points in 2008, in a race that national Democrats targeted. It was the closest race of his Congressional career. Meanwhile, 25th district voters favored Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by just 1 point over Barack Obama in the presidential contest, just four years after they backed President George W. Bush by 12 points.

While Garcia had passed on a rematch, sources said Democrats would look to Garcia again in the open-seat scenario.

According to a report in the Naples Daily News, Mario Diaz-Balart will endorse state Rep. David Rivera (R), who is currently running for state Senate, in the race to succeed him in Congress.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/43199-1.html?type=printer_friendly

[KingFlorez]

1. What is this, Dynasty?

One brother leaves and the other runs in to succeed him, just fantastic.

[hfojvt]

2. that's what I thought

but apparently both brothers are currently in Congress. So it's not like the brother would be a new congressman.