Atwater: not 'pushing' 2016 Senate bid

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said Tuesday he hasn't set a timeline to make a decision about running for the U.S. Senate in 2016, but acknowledged that "it can't be long." So far, he has only said he is considering the idea. "I only acknowledged that people have been asking, and we said we'd be open to the idea, but we're not out pushing it," he said after a state Cabinet meeting. Atwater added that he's currently not seeking support, endorsements or campaign funds. Atwater announced in April that he would not run for Republican Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat, regardless of Rubio's decision on a bid for the presidency. Rubio later announced he would run for the White House, opening up the Senate seat. However, in late September, Atwater told reporters he was considering the idea. And that's where things stand a month later. "Since April, we haven't been leaning into it," Atwater said Tuesday. "We made our communications. We felt that we had just been re-elected and still feel that way today. I've got a job to do and that is what I should be pursuing." Were he to jump into the race, Atwater would join a GOP primary field that includes Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Congressman Ron DeSantis, Congressman David Jolly and Orlando businessman Todd Wilcox. "We know all four of those candidates in our party that are running and I'm impressed with all of them," Atwater said. "I don't want to be in their way."