Just when you thought you might be clear of Matt Gaetz news for a while, the former Florida Congressman goes out and announces that he is probably going to run for governor of the Sunshine State in 2026.
Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday that he is “starting to think about running for governor,” which, to my mind, suggests he’s all but sure to run.
For regular readers of my content, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise! I have been telling you for months now that Gaetz has his eye on the Florida governor’s mansion. And that even the damning report from the House Ethics Committee on Gaetz’s alleged drug use and behavior with women wouldn’t derail those ambitions.
Gaetz made clear during the interview with the Times how he will handle the Committee report, which concluded that there was “substantial evidence” that the former Congressman paid women for sex and used illegal drugs.
“Those lies have been told about me for years,” Gaetz said. “They’ve never affected my ability to win elections.”
He’s not wrong! Gaetz swamped a GOP challenger backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall even as these whispers of his conduct as a Member of Congress swirled.
Given Gaetz’s prominence in the MAGA movement and his likely ability to raise tens of millions of dollars for the race, I think he has to be considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for governor in 2026. (Gov. Ron DeSantis is term limited.)
Gaetz’s timing in going public with his interest in the gubernatorial race is entirely purposeful. DeSantis is expected to announce his pick to fill the likely vacant Senate seat of Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio in the coming days. Gaetz wants to make clear to all ambitious Republicans in the state where his interests lie — and that if they want to be governor they are going to have to beat him for it.
DeSantis said Tuesday that “we've done a lot of research on candidates” but wouldn’t offer any hints on the timing or identity of his Senate pick. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is seen as the favorite to get DeSantis’ nod.
If she is the pick, that would take Moody off the board as a potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate. Among the names, other than Gaetz, mentioned for that race are state Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.
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