Republican Jason Mariner, the winner of this week's GOP primary election for a U.S. House seat in Florida, is reportedly a convicted felon who is ineligible to hold office in the state.

Mariner, 36, became the Republican nominee for Florida's 20th Congressional District after winning Tuesday's primary with 58 percent of the vote. His past as a convicted felon could be an issue in next month's special election, as Florida law only allows ex-felons to hold office or vote if they have formally applied to have their rights restored.

While the GOP nominee told Florida Politics on Thursday that he had done "nothing" to restore his rights, he insisted that not taking the legal step would have no bearing on his candidacy.

(A prime example of how republicans don't think the rules apply to them.)