Widow Of Late GOP Rep. Young Will Challenge Successor — As A Dem

Newly elected Republican Congressman David Jolly of Florida poses for a ceremonial swearing-in with Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2014. Earlier this week... Newly elected Republican Congressman David Jolly of Florida poses for a ceremonial swearing-in with Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2014. Earlier this week, Jolly edged out Democrat Alex Sink in a special election that Republicans cast as a referendum on President Barack Obama and his unpopular health care law. The Tampa-area district had been considered a toss-up. Jolly fills the open seat that had been held for decades by Republican C.W. Bill Young who died in October. The 41-year-old Jolly has long experience in Washington, first as an aide to Young and then as a lobbyist. Republicans now hold 233 seats in the House to the Democrats’ 199. There are three vacancies. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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When Republican David Jolly ran for the late Rep. C.W. Bill Young’s (R-FL) seat Jolly had the support of Young’s widow, who campaigned for him. Now, Young’s widow, Beverly Young, is saying she plans to challenge him in 2016 as a Democrat.

“I am absolutely going to run against David in 2016,” Beverly Young told the Tampa Bay Times. “I’d do it now if I could. If I’d known that the Democrats wouldn’t put anyone up on that ballot, I’d have been there myself this time. I thought they had a candidate. I wouldn’t have been ready. But I would have run anyway.”

Prior to successfully running for Young’s seat, Jolly had been a senior adviser to Young and was also close with Young’s family. But a rift opened up and now Beverly Young is not speaking with the newly elected congressman. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Beverley Young has been unhappy with the congressman for firing her husband’s congressional staffers. She also believes Jolly pitted her son Patrick against her.

“This country just can’t fall to lobbyists and their deceit and manipulation. I’m not going to just sit back and have all Bill’s [hard] work just trashed to inside the Beltway politics. Ugh.”

Democrats seemed at a loss to find a candidate to face Jolly in the future after Alex Sink, who ran against Jolly in the special election for Jolly’s seat, decided not to seek a rematch in November. Now, it seems, they have Beverly Young.

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Notable Replies

  1. So it’s not so much she believes in Democratic ideals, it’s that she has a grudge against Jolly.

  2. Oh my, this should be interesting. Bev is nuts. She most certainly will NOT have the backing of the local democratic party, or the state, or the national. Totally bat sh!t crazy, by all accounts. Just check out her Facebook page.

  3. Might want to recheck that last sentence. It’s Beverly Young, not Beverly Jolly.

  4. Whatever works. Democratic ideals at this point equal = not the tea party.

    See Boehner’s recent comments.

  5. She is a piece of work, and she is no democrat. There has to be SOMEONE that could run in this district and win. She’s a psycho.

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