McAllister Decides Against Re-election

Freshman Rep. Vance McAllister (R), who was elected in a November special election to replace former Rep. Rodney Alexander (R) but then quickly became embroiled in an extra-marital scandal, announced yesterday that he will not seek a full term this November.  He will serve the balance of the current term, however, against the wishes of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who asked McAllister to immediately resign.   Due to his short stint in Congress and his upset of the party establishment candidate, McAllister did not have the internal district support to withstand a scandal.  His announcement means that 45 seats will now be open in the 2014 election cycle, though one - the 19th District of Florida - will be filled in a June special election. In the special election, McAllister defeated 11 other Republican candidates.  Some, such as former Rep. Clyde Holloway (R-LA-8) and Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, have already taken themselves out of another election, but others have been non-committal.  All eyes will be on state Sen. Neil Riser (R), who lost the run-off election to McAllister.  We can again expect a crowded field of candidates.  The seat is heavily Republican, and will likely remain in the GOP column. For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at (202) 547-5013 or ashinoffd@agc.org.