TALLAHASSEE, Florida — President-elect Donald Trump is throwing his support behind Florida’s chief financial officer as his choice to succeed former Rep. Matt Gaetz in Congress, a move that could increase pressure on Gov.
Trump on Monday said on social media that he would support Republican Jimmy Patronis for the now-vacant northwest Florida congressional seat that Gaetz gave up during his truncated bid for attorney general.
RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
State Sen. Joe Gruters, a long-time ally of Trump who has clashed with DeSantis, has already said he is running for chief financial officer.
This marks the second Florida congressional race that Trump has made his preference known.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — President-elect Donald Trump is throwing his support behind Florida’s chief financial officer as his choice to succeed former Rep. Matt Gaetz in Congress, which might put more pressure on Gov. The president-elect’s allies will be chosen by Ron DeSantis for other positions.
On social media on Monday, Trump declared that he would back Republican Jimmy Patronis for the congressional seat in northwest Florida, which is currently vacant, which Gaetz forfeited during his abortive attorney general campaign. In response to criticism of the investigations into his behavior, Gaetz withdrew from consideration. As part of a sex trafficking investigation, the Department of Justice carried out its own investigation and, according to Gaetz’s attorneys and DOJ officials, chose not to file criminal charges.
Even though Patronis did not support Trump in this year’s presidential contest until after DeSantis withdrew from the primary, Trump claimed that Patronis had “been a wonderful friend to me.”.
Should he choose to compete in this race, Jimmy Patronis has my full support. Trump posted, “Run, Jimmy, Run!” on Truth Social.
Patronis seemed prepared to follow that counsel. “Put me to work, Mr. President! … I am here to serve,” he wrote in a social media post on Monday afternoon. “.”.
Trump publicly endorsed state senator before deciding to support Patronis. In a second administration, Randy Fine was elected to the congressional seat of another of his nominees, Rep. Waltz, Mike.
It occurs at a crucial time. In order to keep their seats during the campaign, elected officials who wish to run in the special election to choose Gaetz’s successor must turn in their resign-to-run letters by Monday. Two state lawmakers and one local elected official had already declared their intention to enter the race.
Due to Patronis’ decision to run for Congress, DeSantis would have to choose a replacement until the 2026 elections. Senator of the State. DeSantis and Trump’s longtime ally Joe Gruters have already declared their intention to run for chief financial officer. If DeSantis fills the position with someone who can challenge Gruters in two years, that is the question.
Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has also indicated interest in taking Marco Rubio’s Senate seat. DeSantis will have to choose Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, until the next election cycle in two years.
Patronis, whose family owns a well-known Panama City restaurant, was appointed to the state’s chief financial officer position in 2017 by the then-Governor. This is a statewide elected position. Rick Scott. Scott had been a close ally of Patronis, a former lawmaker, since his first campaign for governor, when he backed him over the Republican candidate favored by the majority of Florida’s Republican establishment.
Although Patronis does not reside in Gaetz’s congressional district, he is widely recognized in the area.
This is the second congressional race in Florida in which Trump has expressed a preference. He suggested on social media over the weekend that Fine, the state senator, should run for the congressional seat in northeast Florida that Waltz currently holds. Waltz was chosen by Trump to serve as his national security advisor.
