While Kathy Castor is remaining low key on today's big announcement that Mark Sharpe will run against her for Congress in Florida's 11th District (if he gets through a GOP primary), the Hillsborough County Democratic Party is not.
Sharpe told reporters today that he will continue to remain in his County Commission seat up to the general election next fall (he won re-election a year ago and isn't term limited out until 2014), but the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee doesn't think that's cool.
In a press release issued Monday, just hours after Sharpe declared his candidacy, party chair Chris Mitchell released this statement:
“Voters in Hillsborough County have a right to full-time representation," states Chris Mitchell, Chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee. “Today's announcement makes it clear that Mark Sharpe will be paying attention to his US House campaign, and that is not what people expected when they voted for him last November.”