OAN Staff James Meyers
1:33 PM – Monday, November 25, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump has officially endorsed Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, to run in the special election for former Representative Matt Gaetz’s seat in Florida’s 1st Congressional District on Monday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Patronis “a wonderful friend to me and to MAGA.”
“As your next Congressman, Jimmy would work tirelessly alongside of me to grow our economy, secure our border, stop migrant crime, strengthen our incredible military/vets, restore American energy DOMINANCE, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.
“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” he added.
“Put me to work, Mr. President!” Patronis replied in a post on social platform X. “I am here to serve.”
Last week, Patronis confirmed in a post on X that he was contemplating a run for Gaetz’s seat.
“I am strongly considering running for Florida Congressional District 1,” Patronis wrote on the platform. “We’ve got an historic opportunity to fight the swamp, end lawfare and return power back into the hands of Americans.”
Meanwhile, as the state’s CFO, Patronis also serves in the Florida Cabinet. Patronis holds the position of state fire marshal and he previously served in Florida’s House of Representatives.
On Friday, the Sunshine State Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) set dates for the position’s special election, as the primary is set to take place on January 28th. The general election will take place on April 1st.
The congressional district is considered to be mostly conservative in Florida. Gaetz had easily secured re-election earlier this month, receiving 66% of the vote.
The race will have a number of candidates, including state Reps. Michelle Salzman (R) and Joel Rudman (R), as well as former U.S. Army Capt. John Frankman, have thrown their names into the race.
This follows Gaetz’s resignation from his seat in the 118th Congress, after Trump nominated him to be the U.S. attorney general. Gaetz later explained that he would be excusing himself from the position since his nomination was distracting from the rest of the incoming Trump administration announcements.
On Monday, GOP Florida Senator Joe Gruters noted that he was aiming for the state’s chief financial officer role “whether by appointment or at the ballot box.”
“Whether via appointment or at the ballot box in 2026, I look forward to running for CFO as President Trump’s endorsed candidate,” Gruters said in a post on X. “President Trump’s resounding victory is a mandate for change in this country and I will never stop fighting to Make America Great Again!”
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