Parkland school shooting influenced Rep. Larry Lee to announce he will not seek re-election

Rep. Larry Lee, D-Port St. Lucie, will not run for re-election, he announced Wednesday.

He said his decision was influenced by the student survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who lobbied on behalf of stricter gun measures and increased school safety funding, during trips to the Capitol.

Lee expressed his frustration with a partisan and ineffective Legislature.

"Were it not for the outcry and protest of those students that saw their classmates die, we would not be addressing this school public safety issue," Lee said. "Those students have done more in two weeks than the Legislature has done in six years."

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Lee announced his retirement during a House Democratic Caucus meeting, where lawmakers debated voting against a wide-ranging school safety bill drafted after the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting.

Lee opposes the bill for several reasons, including that it includes a provision for school staff members to carry firearms.

It takes a village

Legislators often fail to work with each other, leaving issues unresolved or solved by recommendations primarily from the Republican majority, Lee said.

"The problem with many politicians is they are too concerned about getting re-elected. I have tried hard for six years to bring both sides together," Lee said. "I don't think change will come in state legislatures or Washington, D.C. It's going to happen on the outside."

Lee said he will focus more time on his initiative, Restoring the Village, that aims to revitalize impoverished Fort Pierce neighborhoods afflicted by gang and gun violence.

"You will see hundreds of people that come together, regardless of political party, race or gender, to work together to help make the world a better place," Lee said.

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Will finish term

Lee will finish his term, which ends Nov. 6, and work to help find a candidate who's "best for all of St. Lucie County," he told TCPalm.

No candidates have filed to run for the seat, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

District 84 covers parts of north and south Hutchinson Islands and the mainland from northwest Fort Pierce to western Port St. Lucie to southern Jensen Beach.

Lee first was elected in 2012 and was eligible to run for one more two-year term.