(CNN) Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a rising Democratic star who was seriously considering challenging Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year for his seat, announced Monday that she will forgo a Senate run and instead will seek reelection to her seat in the House. Murphy's decision comes shortly after fellow Florida Democrat Rep. Val Demings announced she was considering a run for the seat . Murphy passing on a Senate run avoids setting up a potentially brutal primary ahead of what will be an expensive and difficult general election match up against Rubio. The last time a Democrat won a Senate seat in Florida was in 2012. "At the same time, I have been seriously considering a run for the US Senate in either 2022 or 2024.

Source: CNN May 24, 2021 19:07 UTC