Ex-Rep. Foley weighing bid for West Palm Beach mayor

Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), who resigned his seat in 2006 amidst a scandal over sexually explicit Internet messages he sent to male Congressional pages, is weighing a return to politics. 

According to the Palm Beach Post, Foley is mulling a bid for mayor of West Palm Beach, but he isn't sure if it's worth the strain it would put on his family as details of the scandal that forced him from Congress would undoubtedly be rehashed. 

"I do have the luxury that I can be the last man to file if I choose to, and still have the name ID," Foley was quoted as saying last week. The filing deadline is in late December.   

The Foley page scandal broke in late fall 2006, compounding the electoral woes for Republicans that year. Foley became a symbol for GOP ethics issues and campaign fodder for many Democratic challengers across the country. 

After his resignation, Foley checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program and remained largely out of the public spotlight until 2009, when he reemerged as host of a local Florida radio show.