Today the Washington Post reported that Florida Senator Mel Martinez (R) will not be seeking re-election after the next two years of his term are up:
Martinez’s decision was based on a desire for more free time and a less scheduled life, said the source.
With that, the GOP prepares to say goodbye to one of its moderate voices.
As we reported, the former RNC Chairman recently stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press“:
“The very divisive rhetoric of the immigration debate set a very bad tone for our brand as Republicans…there were voices within our party, frankly, which if they continue with that kind of rhetoric, anti-Hispanic rhetoric, that so much of it was heard, we’re going to be relegated to minority status.”
Sen. Martinez has been one of the courageous Republican leaders speaking out on the divisive immigration rhetoric employed by his party.
Will Sen. Martinez feel more freedom to speak up on immigration, now that a looming re-election is out of the picture? Nothing’s certain, but it is safe to say that the GOP’s moderate base on immigration is an endangered species worth preserving.