Toying with and teasing the idea for months, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) will reportedly run for Senate in 2016 (via Roll Call):
Rep. Alan Grayson, a liberal firebrand whose outspokenness irks members of his own party, will announce a bid for Florida’s open Senate seat Thursday morning on a Florida TV station, according to a source with knowledge of Grayson’s plans.Grayson’s entry into the race could turn into a messy primary with fellow Florida Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, national Democrats’ pick for this competitive seat, vacant this cycle thanks to GOP Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential bid.
This is great news for Republicans, if Grayson does enter the race.
After all, watching him fight his way to the Democratic nomination will be a fun spectacle to watch. (His track record of inflammatory, loony, and of course, anti-Republican statements is legendary).
Legal troubles aside, however, the icing on the cake here is that Grayson’s also very much despised by his own party. Thus, his presence in the race only complicates things for Team Murphy, who will struggle to fend off his inevitable and cutting attacks, while Republicans sit back and watch the fireworks. And there will be fireworks. A poll last month showed Grayson trailing Murphy by only three percentage points.
The Democratic establishment, by the way, must be extraordinarily disappointed by Roll Call's latest scoop. Apparently, Rep. Grayson just won't go away.