Florida Democrat Rep. Not Seeking Re-Election After Sexual Harassment Allegations

May 12, 2022 Updated 12:40 P.M. ET

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Democrat State Rep. Ramon Alexander announced he will not seek re-election after allegations that Alexander sexually harassed a former athletic official at Florida A&M University. The Tallahassee Democrat was the first outlet to extensively report on the story.

“After thoughtful consideration and personal self reflection, I will not seek re-election for my final term in the Florida House of Representatives,” Alexander said in a statement Thursday.

The Tallahassee Democrat extensively reported this week that State Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, is accused of groping and sending explicit photos of himself to Michael Johnson Jr. who is the former athletic official at the University. 

Alexander was next in line to lead Florida House Democrats in 2023. Democrat Leader Evan Jenne said in a statement that their caucus will meet to elect a new Leader Designate.

“He and his family are in my thoughts as they navigate into this next phase of their lives,” Jenne said.

Florida’s Voice reported on Republicans criticizing mainstream media outlets, like ‘Florida Politics,’ for not writing a full report on the allegations against Alexander.

“FP (Florida Politics) will give Rep. Alexander the space and privacy his family needs at this time. Hoping the rest of the #FlaPol media world will do likewise,” Schorsch said on Twitter.

Florida Politics was first to break the news about the sexual harassment allegations against Alexander on their text alert system and only included a three sentence write-up in their morning “Sunburn” report.

“The legacy media of Florida’s refusal to cover this story-which is the biggest scandal of the year in Florida politics— shows you what corrupt scumbags they are,” said Republican State Rep. Anthony Sabatini in Florida’s Voice report.

The Tallahassee Democrat initially reported that Democratic State Rep. Ramon Alexander apologized and told the outlet that it was an “adult consensual” relationship with Johnson. However, Johnson said there was not a physical relationship between the two of them and filed complaints alleging Alexander harassed and intimidated him.

Alexander has become a prominent Florida Democrat. He was in the national spotlight for his criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Stop W.O.K.E Act” that bans educators and workplace employers from teaching Floridians that their “moral character” is determined by race, sex, or national origin. 

Alexander is married and is also the executive director of “Distinguished Young Gentlemen,” which provides mentoring for students. 

Read the Tallahassee Democrat’s full report here.