Henderson to run for Congressional District 19 seat
Fort Myers Mayor Randall P. Henderson Jr. said Wednesday he will seek the Congressional District 19 seat in southwest Florida in 2020.
Congressman Francis Rooney, R-Naples, has said he will not seek another term.
“My 10 years as Mayor, including 9 years on the City Council, has provided insight and vast experience working in the public sector including solving complex issues while improving the quality of life for the citizens of Fort Myers,” Henderson said in a prepared statement. “I believe this experience provides me the background to lead the charge for serving citizens in District 19 and bring focus and support from Washington to our district.”
A long-time Republican, he will run as a GOP candidate.
Henderson said the key components of his platform will be consistent with that of his past leadership including a focus on the environment, quality of life, expansion of business and infrastructure and modernizing and preparing the region to manage catastrophic occurrences.
“Keeping citizens safe will always be an important tenant of this responsibility as well,” he said.
Rooney announced in October that he would not seek re-election.
The release bio states;
Henderson, 63, has been a resident of Fort Myers for 40 years. He was born and raised in North Carolina where he graduated from Mars Hill College in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. He began his career in Fort Myers in banking and is currently the CEO of Corbin Henderson Company, a real estate firm, serving since 1986.
Henderson, the 61st mayor of the City of Fort Myers, began his third mayoral term November 2017, becoming the first mayor in the city’s history to be elected three consecutive terms. Before being elected mayor in November 2009, Henderson served for nine years on the Fort Myers City Council.
In 2015, Mayor Henderson was named president of the Florida League of Mayors at the organization’s annual business meeting and served 2015-2016. He currently serves as second vice president of the statewide Florida League of Cities. Henderson currently serves as an advisory board member for Keiser University and Horizon Council Executive Committee. He has also served on the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization and has extensive service on the boards of directors of four commercial banks over the past 30 years. Henderson is a past president of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce and Fort Myers Kiwanis Club and previously served as chairman of the City of Fort Myers Conference and Convention Council.
Henderson is a private pilot and enjoys flying both for business and personal pleasure and is an avid fisherman. He and his wife Ginny have been married for 40 years and have three adult children: sons, Marcus, and Alex and daughter-in-law, Carrie, daughter, Laura Fraser and son-in-law, Jay Fraser and two granddaughters: Virginia Ann Fraser and Ellery Andrews Fraser.
“My time serving the great residents of Fort Myers has been hard work and extremely fulfilling. I now want to show all of southwest Florida that with my 19 years of experience, this position will be my sole focus and I have the time and energy to dedicate. I don’t have other things distracting me from giving my all to bring southwest Florida to Washington and Washington to us,” he said.
According to the Lee County Supervisor of Elections website, other candidates listed as “active” on the Republican ballot for the District 19 seat include Antonio Dumornay, State Rep. Dane Eagle, William Matthew Figleshtaler and Daniel Mark Severson.
Cindy Lyn Banyai is listed as “active” as a Democrat. David Holden has announced.
Representatives in the U.S. House serve two-year terms. District 19 includes much of Lee and parts of Collier County including the islands from north of Sanibel south to Marco Island as well as Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Naples.