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.
