UPDATE: Randall Terry to Run for Florida State Senate

Randall Terry released the following statement announcing his run for the Florida State Senate:

Today is one of the most significant days of my life. It is with great optimism, expectation, and determination that I announce my candidacy for the Florida State Senate.Over the past month I have met and spoken with dozens of members of the Republican executive committee from all five counties where the eighth district lies. I have been amazed at the commitments already made to me concerning my candidacy and election. I am convinced that we can develop the three-fold chord of momentum, manpower and money necessary to win the Republican primary, and then the general election of 2006.

Last night when I was alone in my library, I studied the faces of three of my heroes: Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. I pondered their lives and their public service to three separate generations in three critical eras of history. Each of them was affable; each of them had an intense love of life, and a great sense of humor. But beyond the fact that they were great men on a personal level, they were all fierce defenders of liberty; they were all unconquerable champions of freedom, truth and justice who loved God and their fellow man.In their public lives, they were loved by many, and ridiculed by others. Each of them in turn stood for principle even when it put them at odds with other public servants. Likewise, each of them enjoyed and endured a roller coaster relationship with the press of their day. On one day they were lionized, on the next day they were vilified. Such was their lot.

But in spite of this see-saw relationship with their colleagues and the press they never wavered from nor abandoned the principles and causes to which they dedicated their lives. And now most of the world holds them as heroes. I know I do; I have named two of my sons after these great men.In my relationship with the press and the media of the eighth district, thus far I have been treated with respect and evenhandedness, for which I am thankful. However, I know that there are media forces and political forces outside of this district and perhaps within it that will be determined to inject false attacks and malice into this campaign to derail me if at all possible. I fully expect this in our current political climate, and I'm prepared to face it with dignity, honor, good will and humor as God gives me the strength.

I expect to win this election. But I harbor no illusions that this will be an easy race. As I invoke the name and the memory of these great men, my goal is to run, win, and then to serve in such a way that would make each of them proud. And my sincere hope is that should they be looking down on us at this moment of time that they will pray to our Maker that His grace and strength will be our guiding force over the next year and a half. And that by the hard work and dedication of my family, our campaign team, and the dedicated Republican volunteers and voters that will be the driving force of this election, that we will be together again on the first Tuesday of November in the year 2006, celebrating my election to the Florida State Senate.Thank you and God bless you.

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