Matt Gaetz withdraws.
Did not expect that. Things are going to get weird.
Is it too late for him to get his House seat back? He’s still Representative-elect.
I could get all "conspiracy theorist" and say it was all a plan to get Gaetz out of Congress; but he seems to get along well with Trump, so that's probably not the explanation.
Who's going to replace him in Congress? Aaron Dimmock, who primaried Gaetz (Gaetz 72.6%, Dimmock 27.4%)
is considering running. He apparently has ties to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (a McCarthy-connected PAC spent $3 million to back Dimmock - highlighting Gaetz's misconduct allegations).
The
Florida Phoenix is reporting six other Republicans, one Democrat and and one other possibility:
1) Northwest Florida House Republican Rep. Michelle Salzman
2) Northwest Florida House Republican Rep. Dr. Joel Rudman
3) Keith Gross, who primaried Rick Scott in 2024.
4) John Frankman, former U.S. Army Captain and Green Beret, who was forced out of the military for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine
5) Kevin Gaffney, a teacher at Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville who describes himself as a “Reagan Republican” and a fiscal and social conservative.
6) Bernadette Pittman, owner and CEO of Pittman Marine LCC and owner and CEO of Boots on the Ground Bikers for Trump in Northwest Florida.
7) Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has hinted he may enter the race
8) And the one Democrat has filed to run is Gay Valimont, gun safety advocate who lost to Gaetz in 2024 by a large margin