Former New Smyrna Beach Mayor Adam Barringer, shown far right, has a much easier ride to the Republican nomination for Florida's 6th Congressional seat in Washington DC, with Thursday afternoon's stunning announcement by Sandy Adams that she has suspended her campaign due to a serious health issue, which she did not disclose.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Sandy Adams, the former one-term Republican Congresswoman vying for a return to Washington DC, has suspended her campaign indefinitely, citing an undisclosed "serious health issue health that demands (her) focus and attention,"
This unexpected development in the political process, puts former New Smyrna Beach Mayor Adam Barringer clearly in the driver's seat with a lesser known intra-party candidate and far less revenue as the only likely hurdle to the Republican nomination.
However, Barringer, 49, said the campaign is the furthest thing from his mind on the eve of Thanksgiving, expressing concern for Adams, adding he had no idea what the health issue is.
I'm in shock right now -- just shocked," Barringer told Headline Surfer® by phone in the past hour. Asked what his thoughts were at the moment," the former New Smyrna Beach mayor said he was speechless.
"What can I say except what really matters right now is that my prayers go out to Sandy Adams and her family. And just before Thanksgiving, too. There's nothing else to say at this point that is more important than what she's going through."
Adam Bsarringer reacts to breaking news on Thanksgiving eve on the stunning announcement of GOP rival Sandy Adams, that she had suspended for campaign
I'm in shock right now -- just shocked," Barringer told Headline Surfer® by phone in the past hour. Asked what his thoughts were at the moment, the former New Smyrna Beach mayor said he was speechless.
"What can I say except what really matters right now is that my prayers go out to Sandy Adams and her family. And just before Thanksgiving, too. There's nothing else to say at this point that is more important than what she's going through."
Adams' stunning announcement came in a brief press release to her supporters this afternoon, which reads as follows:
"I recently discovered a significant health issue that demands my focus and attention. I decided to run in Florida’s 6th District because I care deeply for our country and my family’s future. With very young grandchildren, I fear for the direction of our nation and what we are leaving future generations if we don’t make the necessary choices when it comes to our national security and our spending decisions."
Adams continued in her prepared statement, "I know that together we can make a difference and that’s why I became a candidate. Over the next several weeks, I will be focusing on my health and will reassess my campaign to determine if I can give it a 100% commitment. I owe that to my family, and to the residents of the 6th District."
While Adams, 58, did not definitively rule out a return to the campaign, her announcement clearly puts Barringer in the driver's seat with more than $200,000 either pledgde or earmarked, of which $151,000 is cash on on hand.
Barringer has made great strides financially, drawing far greater campaign monies than Adams and the third entrant in the GOP race, GG Galloway, an Ormond Beach area Realtor with no prior political experience.
By comparison, Galloway, who couldn't be reached for comment has raised about $60,00, though he's only been in the race for three weeks.
Messages left with Adams' campaign and via social media by the internet newspaper went unanswered.
Adams was first elected by voters from Florida's 24th Congressional District in 2010., when she defeated New Smyrna Beach Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.
After being re-districted to Florida's 7th Congressional District, Adams lost her bid for re-election in the 2012 primary election, to incumbent John L. Mica, a stalwart in Washington politics.
But in fast forward to the current election cycle, the 6th congressional seat was wide open early on with the domino effect of the 2016 presidential election at play on the Republican side.
Congressman Ron DeSantis, R-Ponte Vedra, the incumbent, opted not to seek a third term in favor of running for Marco Rubio's US Senate seat, with the South Floridian jumping into the presidential election as did former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
The 6th Congressional districts stretches from the southern Jacksonville suburbs to New Smyrna Beach.Most of Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St Johns counties with a combined population in excess of 700,000 people.
Key cities include St. Augustine, Crescent City, Palatka, Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange, South Daytona and New Smyrna Beach and DeLand.
Deltona, Orange City and DeBary are outside the sixth district.
Barringer was first elected mayor in 2009, when he narrowly defeasted then first-tern incumbent, Sally Mackay, a registered Democrat, in the non-parisian municipal race.
After the city commission voted unanimously to switch to even-year elections, that first year in office, that gave Barringer and company an extra year. He ran again in 2012, but when qualifying ended that June without a challenger, Barringer was aotomatically returned to office for another two years. He stepped off the NSB dais in November 2014.