Rep. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that he is resigning from Congress to focus on running as the Republican nominee in the Florida governor's race.
In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, DeSantis wrote that "it would be inappropriate" for him to accept a House salary, as his campaign work would likely keep him out of Washington for the "vast majority" of the rest of the current session of Congress, which ends in January.
"In order to honor my principles and protect the taxpayer, I officially resign from the House of Representatives immediately," he wrote.
DeSantis asked that his resignation be retroactive to September 1 so that he would not receive any pay for the month.
DeSantis is locked in a tight race against Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, the race was within the margin of error among likely Florida voters, with Gillum at 50% and DeSantis at 47%.
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It has been an honor to serve the people of Florida's Sixth Congressional District. pic.twitter.com/j0SgILImyP
— Ron DeSantis (@RepDeSantis) September 10, 2018