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Evers Considering Congressional Run

The deadline to qualify for the First District House seat being vacated by Cong. Jeff Miller isn’t for a couple of months, but there are questions swirling around one possible candidate.

“At this point in time I’m still talking with the people I represent, because their interest is my utmost concern,” said State Sen. Greg Evers (R-Baker). Evers has been among those mentioned as potential candidates to succeed Miller, who’s stepping down after eight terms. Evers is also being mentioned as a candidate for other offices.

“To see that I represent them in the position that they feel I could do the best job for them,” said Evers. “Whether that be [State] Senate, [Santa Rosa Co.] Sheriff, or Congress.”

Speaking at the National Guard Armory in Pensacola last week, Evers indicated that he’ll make up his mind after gathering more input from constituents and supporters.

“It’s being voiced to me by the folks that I talk with, about problems they particularly see, about what’s going on and what needs to be done,” said Evers.

“Greg Evers has been at the center of speculation, about whether he is going to run for Congress,” said Peter Schorsch, publisher of a number of new media websites, including FloridaPolitics.com and ContextFlorida.com.

In a recent column he describes Evers’ enigmatic approach by drawing from William Shakespeare – asking the question: Is Evers becoming the “Hamlet of the Florida Panhandle?”

“Every day, people in northwest Florida and political aficionados throughout the state, hear that Greg Evers is going to pull the trigger,” Schorsch said. “Now it’s kind of dead silent. It’s kind of a joke right now: ‘Has anybody heard anything from anybody?’”

If Sen. Greg Evers gets into the race for House District-1, he’ll join an already crowded field of six Republicans and one Democrat. Qualifying for the race is the week of June 20th, but Schorsch says the window of opportunity is actually beginning to close for Evers, and others mulling a run for the seat.

“We are getting into April, it takes a little bit of time to gather up steam, and ballots will be going out in July,” said Schorsch. “So even if we’re thinking about the election in November, this will probably be decided in the [August 30] Republican primary.”

Schorsch says he’s getting word that Evers is beginning to get pressure from all angles on what direction he’ll take his political career. Another question is who the National Rifle Association will back if Evers joins the race against State. Rep. Matt Gaetz – who announced a couple of weeks ago.

“Matt Gaetz has carried open carry [legislation] for the NRA,” said Schorsch. “It’s going to be hard for Greg Evers to get to the right of Matt Gaetz in an election.”

However, a survey by the watchdog group Citizens for a Just Government shows Evers leading Matt Gaetz 23-13% among those who have already filed to run for Jeff Miller’s seat. Evers also beat Gaetz by 18 percentage points on the question of “favorability.”