College professor and former candidate for the GOP nomination in House District 50 hints at another run.
By Jacob Engels
Former state house candidate and college professor George Collins sent out an email to supporters and party insiders, detailing his take on the “redistricting musical chairs”. Collins, who hit Republican incumbent Tom Goodson hard on his residency issues in 2014, is expected to self-fund a potential 2016 bid against fellow Republican Rene Plasencia.
Mr. Plasencia has decided to not run for re-election in his current district, instead running in HD 50, which is considered a much easier district for him to win. In the email, Collins references his conversation with two “reliable sources” that the likely outcome of potential redistricting changes could mean State Senator Thad Altman will run for State House in District 51.
“Thad’s move pushes back Tom Goodson to move back to run for his Fl House 50 seat, and Rene Plasencia back to run for his FL House 49 seat. Does RPOF then fund another Plasencia Republican mailer endorsing Plasencia in Distric49?
What happens to the current RPOF Plasencia Dist 50 petition cards? And does Goodson now claim that he prefers to continue to reside at his daughter’s Titusville apartment in Dist 50?. Will Democrat Sean Ashby stay in the FL House 50 race, if he has to face Goodson again?”
Mr. Collins told us Tuesday night that he is very close to a decision and is waiting to see how the redistricting plays out. “I would need confirmation that the RPOF would follow their own rules and not takes sides in the primary.”
It remains to see what final changes in the redistricting process will be, but Collins theory certainly is interesting.
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post & Seminole County Post. He is a seasoned political operative who has led numerous statewide political groups and has worked on several high-profile local, statewide, and national races. Jacob has been interviewed on national television & radio programs, with his work having been featured in the Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald and other publications nationwide. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com
