Republican Florida State Sen. Dorothy Hukill has dropped out of her re-election bid because of a recurrence of cancer, News 6 partner Florida Today reports.
Hukill's District 13 seat includes northern Brevard County and southern Volusia County.
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The Democratic candidate for the seat is Mel Martin of Cocoa, a retired Marine Corps major and an organizational leader on anti-corruption and environmental issues.
In a posting on her Facebook page, Hukill wrote: "As my close friends and family, you know that I received treatment for cancer in 2016. Thanks to the well wishes and prayers from so many of you, and the excellent care from my medical team, the cancer went into remission. Returning to work serving my constituents over the past two years was one of the great joys of my life."
"Unfortunately, I have recently experienced an aggressive recurrence of this cancer. Along with my family, I have made the difficult decision to enter hospice care and no longer seek treatment for this disease. As a result, I will no longer be seeking re-election this November."
Hukill wrote that "I have so enjoyed serving you and the people of Florida. I have been honored by your friendship and the trust you have placed in me, from my very first term serving on the Ponce Inlet Town Council to the past six years in the Florida Senate.
To all of my friends, supporters, constituents, colleagues, and my dedicated staff who have all done so much on behalf of the people we've served: thank you from the bottom of my heart."