Overview
- Baxter reversed course on Friday, June 12, saying she will abandon a days‑old run for Florida’s redrawn 22nd Congressional District after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social and called her.
- She confirmed the decision in statements to local outlets and said the phone call with the President persuaded her to reenter the race to represent District 6 on the Palm Beach County Commission.
- Baxter had filed with the Federal Election Commission on June 8 to run in CD 22 and faced an immediate qualifying deadline and about a $10,000 threshold to make the congressional ballot without access to commission funds.
- Her exit removes one Republican contender from a crowded primary that already includes well‑funded and endorsed candidates, and analysts say the President’s public preference can materially affect donors and voter support.
- The episode underscores two broader dynamics: redistricting that reshaped CD 22 to favor Trump in 2024 and the outsized role national endorsements play in local and congressional candidate decisions.