Florida Senator Mel Martinez has decided to resign from the Senate before completing his term in January 2011:
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) will be stepping down from the Senate, according to several senior Republican sources familiar with his thinking.
He made the announcement at a morning staff meeting, where he said he will not be returning to the Senate after the August recess.
This certainly complicates things for Florida Governor Charlie Christ who is current running for the GOP nomination for Martinez’s seat against Marco Rubio. Under Florida law, Crist is empowered with appointing a replacement Senator, who will serve until the next General Election in 2010.
