State Rep.Ā Matt GaetzĀ is ready to bring his fiery brand of northwest Florida conservatism to Washington D.C.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican is abandoning his bid for the Florida Senate and instead will run for the congressional seat now held by RepublicanĀ Jeff Miller. He announced he willĀ retire at the end of his eighth and current term.
In a release MondayĀ morning, the 33-year-old Gaetz says “Washingtonās failures have left the American people with trillions in debt, illegal immigrants sucking us dry, and attacks from Muslim terrorists rising.”
“While I planned to continue serving in the Florida Legislature, the fights we must win to save this country are in Washington,” he says. “Our Constitution is being ignored, our veterans have been abandoned,Ā andĀ ourĀ 2nd Amendment rights are under attack.”
Gaetz’s website —Ā mattgaetz.comĀ — is now fully rebranded for the Congressional seat and in federal outsider mode, bearing the sloganĀ “Fight Washington, Restore America.”
See his new campaign video here.
In announcing theĀ congressionalĀ campaign, Gaetz is giving upĀ his bid to replace his father, former Senate PresidentĀ Don Gaetz,Ā in the Legislature’s upper chamber. That raceĀ was shaping up to be one of the more contested battles in a heated 2016 Senate cycle which will see all 40 seats up for grabs.
Gaetz’s move comes as the latest in a series of political dominoes which have fallen since MillerĀ announced last week he would not seek re-election in the 1st Congressional District, once held by MSNBC commentatorĀ Joe ScarboroughĀ from 1995-2001. Also expected to run for the seat is state Senator Greg Evers.
Don Gaetz himself was also saidĀ to have an interest in the congressionalĀ seat. He addressed the speculation in aĀ memo to supportersĀ Wednesday.
Gaetz said it was an āhonor to be Northwest Floridaās senator in Tallahassee. And weāve had a pretty good run. Iām confident a real, true conservative will become a candidate and will represent our families and communities with success and with honor.”
In anĀ interview earlier this month, the senior GaetzĀ told FloridaPolitics.com that his sonĀ āwould be a strong candidate” and “his family would be 100 percent behind him and Iād knock on every door in northwest Florida for him.ā
Asked whether Matt had discussed a congressional run with him, Gaetz said, āFathers and sons donāt talk to the press about what they discuss privately.ā
MattĀ Gaetz, first elected amid the Tea Party wave that swept the nation in 2010, works as a commercial litigator at the law firmĀ Keefe, Anchors & Gordon.
He’s known in the Legislature as a strongĀ debater; a supporter ofĀ disruptive technologiesĀ such asĀ ride-booking services, includingĀ Uber; and an advocate of medical marijuana.
He was part of aĀ bipartisan effort to implement low-THC cannabis for childrenĀ who suffer from debilitating seizures and other diseases. He co-sponsored the 2014 Compassionate Use Act with Democratic state Rep.Ā Katie Edwards, and it became the framework for the marijuana growing and delivery systemĀ currently being hashed out by the Department of Health.
Gaetz hasĀ an “A+” rating from theĀ National Rifle Association, and has supported capital punishment in Florida, which recently has been under fire by federal courts. In 2013, he sponsored theĀ āTimely Justice Actā to reduce delays from sentencing to executions for those on Florida’s Death Row.
“Only God can judge, but we can sure set up the meeting,ā GaetzĀ saidĀ during a floor debate on theĀ proposal.Ā After a challenge, theĀ Florida Supreme Court upheld the law’s constitutionality a year later.
In his release, Gaetz said that when “Donald TrumpĀ is President, Northwest Floridaās voice in Congress must ring loud and clear for bold, conservative reform. Mine will.”
He added, “Whether it was banning Obamacare-funded abortions, blocking attempts to repeal Stand Your Ground, cutting taxes by over $1 billion, or supporting military families, Iāve been an effective leader in the Florida House. Iām ready to fight and win for NorthwestĀ Florida inĀ Congress.”
