TAMPA BAY, FL—Top Trump surrogate and political influencer Rogan O'Handley, aka DC Draino, who publicly contemplated the former President's call for a MAGA loyalist to unseat Florida's lone Team DeSantis congresswoman, will not run for the Tampa area seat held by Republican Rep. Laurel Lee.
"After careful consideration, and speaking to family, I have decided not to run for Congress," said Draino during a conversation with The Floridian at the Florida Young Republicans State Convention in Tampa Bay Saturday.
O'Handley thought about answering former President Donald Trump's call to unseat Rep. Laurel Lee, the lone congressperson from Florida to endorse Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump for President.
"Any great MAGA Republicans looking to run against Laurel Lee in Florida’s 15th Congressional District? IF SO, PLEASE STEP FORWARD!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the conservative media platform he created after Twitter suspended him indefinitely.
Lee is a first-time Representative whose district covers parts of Hillsborough, Polk, and Pasco Counties in Central Florida. Before running for congressional office, DeSantis appointed Lee to Secretary of State. She later oversaw elections in his administration, leading her to endorse her former boss over the former President.
However, after DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race, she quickly switched her endorsement to Trump. Her perceived sleight, however, is something Trump has not forgotten.
Instead of running for office, O'Handley will continue to focus on his social media business and "X" platform—where he has amassed over a million followers.
