Election 2008 - The Florida Connection: St. Pete Mayor Signs on with Romney

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker has thrown his support behind former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney in the GOP presidential sweepstakes game. Baker is popular moderate Republican and is considered one of the frontrunners to replace Congressman Bill Young when he leaves office.

In that vein, the rumors swirling around Young's successor are only getting stronger now that he has been relegated to the minority. Historically, many older legislators retire when a chamber flips and they become part of a new minority in the legislative body. As mentioned above, Rick Baker is a common name. Pinellas County Commissioner Karen Seel has never hidden her ambition to run for the seat, but the rumor that Young will stay on until 2010 and then step aside to let his son run (who will turn 25 that year and therefore be eligible to serve in Congress) has never died.