Florida’s Rep. Frederica Wilson joins congressional retirement parade

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

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* As recently as this past weekend, Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida responded to scuttlebutt about her looming retirement. “It’s a crazy rumor, a crazy crazy rumor,” she told Axios. “I’m almost distraught. It’s not true. I am still planning on running.”

Five days later, the congresswoman sat down with the Miami Herald and confirmed that she is, in fact, stepping down at the end of her current term. Wilson said her claims from days earlier were intended to be “politically strategic” in light of Florida Republicans’ redistricting plans.

Her decision complicates matters in her Miami-area district, where candidates will now scramble ahead of an August primary.

* In Texas’ closely watched Senate race, Democrat James Talarico picked up an endorsement from the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle, which condemned Republican Ken Paxton’s “moral rot” and touted Talarico as someone “who’ll stand up for us, who’ll fight corruption, and who’ll bring us together to get our country back on track.”