Chuck Perdue won’t run for Congress in open CD 2 seat

Bay County Tax Collector Chuck Perdue says he will not run for Congress in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.

On his personal Facebook page, the Republican ruled out the run days after saying he would consider a campaign to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn.

“I’m truly grateful for the calls, messages, thoughts, and prayers over the past few weeks. After much reflection and family discussion, I’ve decided not to run for Congress,” Perdue posted. “Right now, I’m prioritizing time with my family and will continue to enjoy serving our county as your tax collector. Thank you again for the encouragement and support — it truly means a lot to me.”

Perdue hails from the same county as Dunn, a Panama City Republican.

On Jan. 16, he had teased a potential run just three days after Dunn said he would not seek re-election.

“Over the last several days, I have been encouraged by the number of calls from every corner of the 2nd congressional district urging me to run. After discussing with my family, I am strongly considering entering the race,” Perdue had posted.

“North Florida deserves a strong leader who will stand with President Trump to keep Florida free. Our family appreciates the support and ask that you pray with us as we make a decision.”

Already, several other Republicans have jumped into the race for a now open CD 2 seat.

That includes former U.S. Senate candidate Keith Gross, insurance company owner Nick Lewis, Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power, and Austin Rogers, the former General Counsel to U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.

Three Democrats had already filed for the seat against Dunn: lawyer Yen Bailey, foreign aid professional Amanda Maria Green and tech entrepreneur Nic Zateslo.

The district leans heavily Republican. Dunn in 2024 won 61.7% of the vote in his last re-election effort as more than 58.5% of voters there supported Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris for President.