After Matt Gaetz exit, Trump endorses Jimmy Patronis for northwest Florida Congressional seat

President-elect Donald Trump is endorsing Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis to fill the vacant Congressional seat left by former Rep. Matt Gaetz in northwest Florida.

Gaetz stepped down from his position during his brief run for attorney general, which he abandoned amid controversy over investigations into his conduct, despite his denials of wrongdoing.

According to a Politico report, Trump expressed his support for Patronis on social media, praising him as “a wonderful friend”, despite Patronis only backing Trump in this year’s presidential race after Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the primary.

Trump’s endorsement could increase pressure on DeSantis to appoint allies to the president-elect for other key positions, added the report.

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

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Trump’s endorsement of Patronis follows his earlier public support for state Sen. Randy Fine, who is vying for the congressional seat held by Rep. Mike Waltz, another one of Trump’s picks for a second administration.

The timing is crucial, as elected officials interested in running for the special election to replace Matt Gaetz must submit their resign-to-run letters by Monday if they want to retain their current seats while campaigning. Two state legislators and one local official have already announced plans to enter the race.

Should Patronis decide to run for Congress, Governor Ron DeSantis would need to appoint a replacement for his position as chief financial officer until the 2026 elections.

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State Sen. Joe Gruters, a long-time Trump ally who has had conflicts with DeSantis, has already expressed his intention to run for the CFO role. The question now is whether DeSantis will appoint someone who could potentially challenge Gruters in two years, reported Politico.

Meanwhile, Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law, has expressed interest in being appointed to the Senate seat currently held by Marco Rubio. With Trump nominating Rubio for secretary of state, it will be up to DeSantis to decide who will occupy the Senate seat until the next election in two years.

When asked about a congressional run on Friday, Patronis texted that he was discussing it with his family, reported Politico.

Patronis, whose family owns a renowned restaurant in Panama City, has served as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer since 2017, after being appointed to the position by then-Gov. Rick Scott.

A former legislator, Patronis had been a staunch ally of Scott, supporting him in his first gubernatorial campaign against the GOP candidate backed by much of Florida’s Republican establishment.

Although Patronis does not reside in Gaetz’s congressional district, he is widely recognised across the region.

This is the second Florida congressional race where Trump has expressed his support.

Over the weekend, he posted on social media encouraging state Sen. Randy Fine to run for the congressional seat in northeast Florida currently held by Rep. Mike Waltz, whom Trump had chosen as his national security adviser.

With inputs from agencies