TAMPA, Fla. — With Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz being tapped as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee, someone will have to replace him in Congress.
Getz is the representative for Florida's First Congressional District, which encompasses Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and portions of Walton counties, and he resigned from his seat on Wednesday.
The district is very conservative with 66% of voters favoring him in the 2024 Election. So, a Republican is likely to fill the position.
A special election will be held in the district to determine his replacement. Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X that he has instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to "formulate and announce a schedule" for the upcoming special elections.
As for who will run in the special election, that is still to be determined. But, state Republican Rep. Michelle Salzman of Pensacola has expressed interest in possibly running, according to an X post.
Florida Politics spoke with political insiders and named a few potential replacement options such as Gaetz's father Don Gaetz, who was the former Florida Senate President. They also noted Jame Uthmeier, who is DeSantis' current Chief of Staff, and Ashton Hayward, former Pensacola mayor. Although it could take months before a special election is held.
Also, Gaetz will have to pass the hurdle of being confirmed by the Senate. He has irritated fellow Republicans when he filed the resolution that ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Then McCarthy helped fund a primary challenge that included alleging Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, which Gaetz denied. The attorney general nominee was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The Justice Department ended its own sex trafficking investigation without bringing any charges against him and the investigation by the committee ended Wednesday when he resigned.
Hours before his nomination, Gaetz wrote that he was unfairly targeted and threatened to abolish the FBI and ATF, which he would have oversight of if confirmed as attorney general.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
