Republican Congressman Dennis Ross of Lakeland announced Wednesday he is ready to retire.
Ross has represented Florida's 15 Congressional District since 2013; and the 12th Congressional District before redistricting lines were redrawn. The Lakeland Republican serves an area that sprawls from Temple Terrace and Brandon through northern Polk County to Clermont.
Ross is on the House Financial Services Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He served as senior deputy majority whip, helping Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., ensure GOP priorities are passed.
Rep. Steve Stivers, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said he's confident Republicans will retain the 15th Congressional District that Ross represents.
"We will do what it takes to make that happen," said Stivers, R-Ohio.
But Amanda Sherman, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Ross had "nothing to run on" going into the general election and that votes for the tax cut bill that passed last year were problematic.
"It is clear that Rep. Ross saw the writing on the wall," Sherman said.
Ross says he never wanted to be a career politician. In a statement he said, "I look forward to returning to the practice of law and to pursuing opportunities to increase civic education for our youth, and young adults."
In a media report, Ross dismissed the move as having anything to do with facing motivated Democratic voters in a midterm elections.
This would be a tough seat for Democrats to turn. It has been in Republican hands since it was redistricted in 2000.
