TALLAHASSEE — Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat, announced on Thursday that she won’t seek reelection to the Florida House this year.
Cross, an environmental advocate who was first elected in 2022, said she made her decision despite 2026 seeming strong for Democrats.
She said she’s confident there will be a “strong Democratic nominee” for the seat come November and that she intends to help that candidate get elected. She also said she’s not running for any other seat.
“It’s the right time for me personally and professionally to move into a different phase,” she said.
Cross was the only candidate filed to runfor House District 60.
A few hours after her announcement, Lindsay Polega-Quigley, an attorney, filed to run for theseat with Cross’ endorsement.
“In the State House, I’ll fight for affordable living and a clean and healthy environment where Pinellas families can work hard to build a good life,” Polega-Quigley said.
Cross said moving forward, she’s looking for other ways to make an impact on the state, including by focusing more on the local level.
“I look forward to being more engaged locally year-round and empowering a new generation of leaders who can represent us with the passion, grit, intelligence, and humility that is required to hold Tallahassee accountable,” Cross said in a statement.
Times reporter Colleen Wright contributed to this report.