Dennis Ross who spent four terms in Congress wants to return to Washington, D.C. for the people of Polk County.
Ross announced Tuesday that he plans to run this year as a Republican in U.S. House District 15.
Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Lakeland, currently serves in District 15, which now covers northern Polk County and parts of Hillsborough and Lake Counties. Florida gains a U.S. House seat because of population growth, and the Legislature’s map creates a new district that covers all of Polk County.
Franklin is expected to run in that district. A spokesman for Ross said that he intends to run in the new District 15 and will not challenge an incumbent.
In announcing his candidacy, Ross cited a litany of conservative concerns about the nation’s current leadership, including inflation, gas prices, the national debt, American global power, crime, and illegal immigration.
“On every issue, Congress is failing us,” Ross said in a news release. “I cannot sit back and watch. Now is the time to restore hope in America’s greatness. I will bring strong, conservative leadership and a positive vision for our country back to Congress.”
Since leaving Congress, Ross has been a political science professor at Southeastern University and director of the school’s American Center for Political Leadership.