State Rep. Jason Fischer drops bid for Congress, possibly clearing path for Aaron Bean run

David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
Florida state Rep. Jason Fischer, shown speaking on the House floor, announced Tuesday he is ending his bid for Congress in a district covering part of Duval County and all of Nassau and Clay counties.
Florida state Rep. Jason Fischer, shown speaking on the House floor, announced Tuesday he is ending his bid for Congress in a district covering part of Duval County and all of Nassau and Clay counties.
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State Rep. Jason Fischer said Tuesday he's ending his run for Congress, a move that will give state Sen. Aaron Bean a less contested path in the upcoming Republican Party primary.

Fischer had taken to the airwaves for weeks with ads touting his congressional campaign and his conservative record, but he will bow out and concentrate on running for Duval County property appraiser in the spring 2023 election.

"After much prayer and reflection, my family and I have decided now is not the right time to pursue a seat in Congress and the best way for me to continue my public service is to remain at home and pursue the office of property appraiser," Fischer said in a tweet posted Tuesday evening.

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Fischer's announcement immediately drew backing from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis tweeted that Fischer "has been a strong supporter of our Florida Freedom Agenda and I'm glad to support him as he brings that same philosophy" to running for Duval County property appraiser in the spring 2023 elections.

Jacksonville City Council member Danny Becton has already filed for property appraiser.

Fischer had previously entered the race for property appraiser but after DeSantis and the state Legislature created a new Northeast Florida congressional district covering part of Duval County along with all of Clay and Nassau counties, Fischer jumped into the race for Congress.

Fischer was one of four candidates who qualified for congressional district race on the Republican side in the August primary contest. The others are Bean, a state senator from Fernandina Beach, along with Erick Aguilar and Jon Chuba, according to the Florida Division of Elections list of candidates.

On the Democratic side, the only candidate to qualify so far is former state Sen. Tony Hill, according to the state Division of Elections.

Fischer was the most visible candidate on the airwaves from either party as he rolled out television ads touting his conservative credentials and voting record.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Republican Jason Fischer ends campaign for Congress