Wise terms out – Weinstein makes Senate bid

Seeking to replace Republican Senator Stephen Wise, Historic City News in St Johns County verified that State Representative Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville, is among the latest House members to go after the seats of term-limited senators as of yesterday.

Weinstein, whose House district included parts of St Johns County, will compete for the newly drawn Senate District 4 seat in Northeast Florida; including all of Nassau County and the easternmost and westernmost parts of Jacksonville in Duval County.

Representative Weinstein, a prosecutor in State Attorney Angela Corey’s office, earlier hinted at a run; but he made it official when he filed for the Senate race Monday.

Weinstein enters a crowded primary race in which the winner will likely be crowned the victor in the general election. His Republican opponents are former State Representative Aaron Bean and Jacksonville lawyer Wyman Duggan.

That brings the number of races in which sitting House members are vying to replace a term-limited senator to eight.

Weinstein filed to run just days after the deadline for the first-quarter campaign finance reporting on Saturday — although most lawmakers were not able to raise campaign donations during the regular and exceptional legislative sessions that took up most of the period.

Photo credits: © 2012 Historic City News staff photographer