On Monday, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has now reportedly declared his intention to run for the seat that was formerly held by incumbent Republican Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the 1st Congressional District. Patronis resigned from his position.
In order to become a candidate in the special election that will take place in 2025 for Florida’s first congressional district, Patronis submitted a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Secretary of State Cord Byrd, through which he informed them of his intention to resign from his position.
In the hours that followed, President-elect Trump made a public appeal to Patronis to participate in the special election for the House seat, the developments took place.
“As your next Congressman, Jimmy would work tirelessly alongside of me to grow our economy, secure our border, stop migrant crime, strengthen our incredible military/vets, restore American energy DOMINANCE, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s endorsement, a number of individuals who had previously been declared as potential candidates for the seat suddenly withdrew their support and endorsed Patronis.
In spite of this, state Representative Joel Rudman, a Republican, resigned his post on Monday in order to run for the primary.
In addition, Nathan Nelson, a member of the United States Air Force and a former director of military relations for Gaetz, is also running for the seat.
On January 28, the Republican primary election for the seat is scheduled to take place, and on April 1, the special general election is scheduled to take place.
One of the most conservative districts in the state is represented by this congressional district. In the beginning of this November, Gaetz was able to easily win reelection with 66 percent of the vote behind him.
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