Gaetz took the nomination for District 1.
QUICK FACTS:
- Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) won the Republican primary in Florida’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday.
- Gaetz had a strong endorsement from former President Donald Trump, despite only holding office since 2017.
- The two-term congressman brought in 68 percent of the vote, winning by a landslide with 54,460 votes and 99 percent of expected votes reported.
- Gaetz spent an estimated $1.1 million on local TV ads to drive home his credentials to potential voters, while his closest challenger, Mark Lombardo, spent an estimated $500,000 to call the incumbent’s character into question.
TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT:
- “Rep Matt Gaetz is a relentless Fighter for the incredible people of Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump said on Saturday on his Truth Social page.
- “Matt is a Champion of our MAGA Agenda, who tirelessly works to Drain the Swamp, Secure the Border, Support our Brave Veterans and Law Enforcement, Defend the Second Amendment, Stand Up to the Woke Mob, and Fight the Never-Ending Witch Hunts from the Radical Left that are destroying our Country!” Trump added. “Matt Gaetz puts America First, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
BACKGROUND:
- Gaetz spent part of his 2022 campaign fending off allegations of sex trafficking a minor and federal officials’ investigation into whether or not the conservative had a sexual relationship with a minor.
- One of Gaetz’s opponents also insinuated that Gaetz was the informant who gave the Federal Bureau of Investigation the information needed to execute the search warrant on Mar-a-Lago.
- Neither of these claims has been substantiated and the candidate has fiercely rejected the accusations. Gaetz has not been charged with a crime.
- Gaetz will face Rebekah Jones, a former coronavirus data manager in the general election.
