Foley drops out of Fla. senate race

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PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., has dropped out of the race for the U.S. Senate, the Palm Beach Post reported Friday.

Foley, however, will seek a sixth term in the House in the November 2004 elections, the newspaper said.

Foley, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, was believed by many to be the front-runner for the GOP nomination for the race for the seat currently held by Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla. Graham is among the Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination for 2004.

The Post said Foley cited the intensity of the statewide campaign and that his father was diagnosed with cancer as reasons behind his surprise decision not to run for the Senate.

"He's always been there for me and I have to be there for him," Foley said, referring to his father.