Connie Mack IV Will Shake up Florida Senate Race

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — As Rep. Connie Mack IV of Florida prepares to jump into a U.S. Senate race instead of seeking re-election, he is likely to become the instant front-runner.

A spokesman said Mack, whose father served in the same Senate seat and whose great-grandfather is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, will enter the primary soon.

That will create a five-way race. In March, Mack said he considered running for Senate, but decided to seek re-election. He reconsidered after watching the lackluster primary. None of the current candidates has generated a lot of excitement.

Strategists from both major parties say his name recognition and ability to raise money as a sitting congressman will make him a front-runner, but he'll have to prove he deserves the status if he wants to keep it.