(WSVN) – After the House Ethics Committee released its report on former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, some are wondering about the former congressman’s future.
As he prepares to take the OANN TV anchor chair early next year, he hinted that there are several political offices he might be interested in.
The 42-year-old former congressman remains active in Republican politics.
He made comments at a conservative convention in Phoenix over the weekend that foreshadowed his political future.
“My friends in Florida asked me to keep an eye on the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee. Maybe I could run for Marco Rubio’s vacated U.S. Senate seat and help some of those people. “I might enjoy the club,” he said.
Rubio, the current Florida senator, will resign next month to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment as secretary of state.
7News political analyst Brian Fonseca said it may be difficult for Gates to appoint a Florida senator, but it is not impossible.
“If Gaetz decides to challenge for the Senate, I think it will be an incredibly difficult fight. A lot of that could depend on whether President-elect Trump supports Gaetz for the Senate. “The House Ethics Committee report was incredibly damaging,” Fonseca said.
Under Florida law, the decision to replace Rubio rests with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Last weekend, President Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, removed her name from the short list of nominees. On social media platform X, she posted in part:
“After incredible thought, deliberation, and encouragement from an incredible number of people, I have decided to remove my name from the deliberations of the United States Senate.”
In a less likely but possible scenario, DeSantis could consider his political future outside of Tallahassee, as Fonseca’s current term is scheduled to end in January 2027. said.
“One of the more outlandish scenarios is that Mr. DeSantis, who is scheduled to finish his term here in 2028, ultimately resigns, and Lt. Gov. (Janet) Nunez takes that seat, and then (she) replaces Mr. DeSantis. It was an appointment,” Fonseca said. .
Other appointees said to be on Mr. DeSantis’ shortlist include Lt. Gov. Janet Nunez, a Cuban-American from South Florida who, like Mr. Rubio, be.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, have also been floated as potential candidates to replace Rubio.
The governor’s chief of staff, James Usmayer, is also on the list of candidates. He was described as a trusted aide and was promoted to campaign manager when DeSantis ran for president in 2024.
Whoever the governor chooses will serve until a special election in 2026. Florida voters will then decide who will serve out the remaining two years of Rubio’s term.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
