Florida Republicans are lining up for the special election to fill former Rep. Matt Gaetz‘s seat after the former attorney general nominee announced he would not seek to reclaim it.
So far, six Republicans have launched campaigns for the special election to represent Florida’s 1st District in the 119th Congress, which would begin on Jan. 3, 2025. The next representative, however, will not take office until the spring, putting a strain on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) slim House majority.
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The Florida secretary of state office released the schedule for the 1st District’s special election on Friday, with the primary set for Jan. 28 and the general election set for April 1. The winner of the special election would likely be sworn into office soon after that.
The most recent Republican to enter the special election race is state Rep. Joel Rudman, who said in a press release Friday that he is running to succeed Gaetz and would pledge his “unwavering commitment” to Trump’s agenda.
“Matt Gaetz has shown what true leadership looks like,” Rudman said. “Like Matt, I will fight tirelessly to defend our freedoms and ensure that Washington works for the people of Florida.”
Rudman joins state Rep. Michelle Salzman, former U.S. Senate candidate Keith Gross, Green Beret veteran John Frankman, Pittman Marine LLC CEO Bernadette Pittman, and teacher Kevin Gaffney. Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, has also said he is strongly considering entering the race.
The qualifying period for candidates seeking the 1st District seat ends on Dec. 6. Vote-by-mail primary ballots will be sent out beginning Dec. 14. Early voting in the primary will take place from Jan. 18 through Jan. 25.
Vote-by-mail general election ballots will be sent out beginning Feb. 15. Early voting in the general election will take place from March 22 through March 29 ahead of the April Fool’s Day election.
Special elections for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) have yet to be decided, as neither member has resigned their seat as of Friday.
The candidates won’t face Gaetz after he announced Friday he will not return to Congress — despite his decision to withdraw his nomination to become attorney general in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Gaetz was known in Congress as a firebrand who stirred the pot, particularly when he led the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall.
“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who stepped up to run for my seat. … Eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” the former congressman, who resigned last week, told podcast host Charlie Kirk.
The red district is expected to remain in GOP hands.
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House Republicans want to fill the seats left vacant by Gaetz, Waltz, picked to be Trump’s national security adviser, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador, as quickly as possible. Johnson has operated under a razor-thin majority for the last year and is projected to have a majority as narrow or narrower for the next Congress, meaning every seat counts when it comes to passing legislation along party lines — a feat proven difficult due to the level of GOP infighting over the last two years.
Hovering over Gaetz’s resignation is a long-awaited report from the House Ethics Committee, which has been investigating the former congressman for over three years on allegations of sexual misconduct. When Gaetz was selected to become Trump’s attorney general, Democrats and Republicans alike urged the committee to release the report to the public — or, at the very least, provide it to the Senate for Cabinet confirmation hearings.
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If Gaetz had decided to take his seat in the 119th Congress, the ethics inquiry would have likely jumpstarted once again as he would be a sitting member of Congress. However, now that Gaetz is no longer a nominee and plans not to return to the House, it is uncertain what will happen with the report.
There is a precedent that House investigations into members end when that member leaves Congress, but there have been exceptions in several instances over the years. House GOP leadership has been in lockstep with Trump and his allies, urging the committee not to release the report, while Democrats are preparing to force a vote on two separate resolutions to immediately release it.
