Miami-Dade Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones announced Wednesday that after 13 years in the Florida Legislature, he will not run for re-election to the District 34 seat he has held since 2020.
Originally elected to the Florida House in 2012, Jones said in video posted on social media that “after a lot of prayer, reflection, and honest conversation with people closest to me, I’ve decided that I would not seek re-election to the Florida Senate.”
Jones’ announcement comes amid speculation he instead will run in Florida’s 24th Congressional District if longtime Democratic incumbent Frederica Wilson chooses not to run there this fall. Wilson denied such a report over the weekend, but those rumors have not gone away.
“I know there’s been a lot of conversation about what would be next for me,” Jones said. “And there will be time to talk about that at a later date.”
In announcing his decision not to run for his seat this fall, Jones becomes the second South Florida Democratic incumbent senator this week to state that he won’t serve in Tallahassee beginning this fall. On Tuesday, Sen. Tina Polsky of Boca Raton announced she would not run again for her seat in Florida’s Senate District 30.
Polsky served two years in the House from 2018 to 2020 before winning election to the Senate. She has been working to help elect Democrat David Jolly get elected as governor this year. She told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that she has not been asked to serve as his running mate.
Following Polsky’s announcement, former Democratic Sen. Lauren Book said Wednesday that she will run in Senate District 30.
“I’m running to make Florida more affordable for working families and seniors, keep our children and communities safe, protect our fundamental freedoms, and deliver the kind of leadership rooted in compassion, accountability, and real results,” Book said in a statement posted on X.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
