Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) “told his staff this morning he is retiring, becoming the latest in a string of Republican departures,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Said Ross: “Eight years takes its toll on you. When you feel like a stranger in your hometown, it’s time to say, ‘There’s got to be an exit strategy at some point.'”

Ross joins more than 40 Republicans who have announced they will resign or are leaving for other reasons.

The Cook Political Report moves the seat from the Solid Republican column to Likely Republican.