Former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz has expressed interest in running for Florida governor in 2026. “I have a compelling vision for the state,” Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times. “I understand how to fix the insurance problem without handing the state over to the insurance industry. If I run, I’d be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side.”
Gaetz, a three-term congressman, resigned in November after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney General. However, he withdrew from consideration following controversy and an ethics investigation.
The House Ethics Committee found that Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for drugs and sex, though he has denied allegations of wrongdoing, including claims of illicit drug use and having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
Florida’s current governor, Ron DeSantis, is serving his second term and is ineligible to run again in 2026 due to term limits, creating an open race for the state’s top office.
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