Bryan Jones withdraws from 1st Congressional District race, throws support to Lombardo

A candidate for Florida's 1st Congressional District announced he is withdrawing from the race, in part, to avoid splitting votes with another military veteran running for the same office.

Bryan Jones, a U.S. Air Force Special Operations pilot and Fort Walton Beach native, announced his formal withdrawal from the race Tuesday.

Jones left active duty service in order to campaign against U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz, but said in a statement that continuing his campaign "is no longer in the best interest of serving the district" in light of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Mark Lombardo also entering the race.

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The big picture: Rep. Matt Gaetz handily beat past challengers. A looming investigation may change that.

“I got into this race because I was once again answering a calling to serving this nation. I no longer felt our representatives reflected the values of my family, my neighbors, or me, and I felt compelled to mount a campaign to be a representative that would serve this nation honorably," Jones wrote in a statement.

"The Republican Primary on August 23rd is a winner-take-all system and a crowded ballot is not in the best interest of the voters of this district. While this is one of my family’s most difficult decisions of our lives, my withdrawal of candidacy for this race is out of a higher calling to remain truthful to my faith, the core values that guide me and my life’s mission of putting the good of others above my own."

Jones' exit creates a three-way Republican primary contest between Gaetz, Lombardo and Greg Merk.

Merk, a former military pilot who served in both the Navy and Air Force, lost a bid to unseat Gaetz as the Republican nominee in 2020.

Mark Lombardo, a retired Marine and former FedEx executive, has pledged to spend up to $1 million of his own money in his effort to defeat Gaetz.

All three of Gaetz's opponents have said they were inspired to run for office because they believe Gaetz is not representing the interests of Northwest Florida voters.

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Gaetz has handily fended off all challengers in prior elections. It remains to see if reports that Gaetz is being investigated for possible sex trafficking will impact his chances in 2022. No charges have been filed and he denies any wrongdoing.

In his statement, Jones said he and his family are forever grateful to their supporters and look forward to learning more about Lombardo's vision and goals for the district.

"I encourage all voters to do their research and choose the candidate that is reflective of their own personal values and who they believe will best represent the proud heritage of service in this incredible area.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Bryan Jones ends campaign, supports Mark Lombardo against Matt Gaetz