Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general, said Friday that he will not return to Congress next year.
“I’m still gonna be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” the Republican congressman said on conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s show.
Gaetz abruptly resigned from the House last week, just hours after Trump said he would nominate him to lead the Department of Justice. Still, after his Thursday announcement that he was dropping his bid for that job, it was an open question whether he would seek to rejoin the House in January after he was reelected earlier this month to his Florida Panhandle seat with 66 percent of the vote.
Returning to the House, though, could have reopened an Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz that took center stage on Capitol Hill this week. The panel announced Wednesday it would not release the findings of its investigation into the former congressman’s alleged sexual misconduct and drug use.
Gaetz, who was first elected to his seat in 2016, said Friday that he had other goals he wanted to pursue outside of Congress and that the timing of his departure aligned with Florida’s term limits for state legislators, who are restricted to eight years in office.
“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who have stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service, and I’m actually excited to see northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” he told Kirk.
Several Republicans have already launched campaigns to succeed Gaetz, including state Reps. Michelle Salzman and Joel Rudman, and retired Army Capt. and Green Beret John Frankman.
The Florida Department of State said Friday that the special election for the 1st District would take place April 1, with party primaries to select nominees on Jan. 28.
Under Florida’s resign-to-run law, most candidates need to resign from their current office when seeking another elected position.
“At Governor Ron DeSantis’ direction, this Special Election is being conducted as quickly as statutorily possible,” Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring this election is held as soon as we are allowed to hold it by state law.”
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