Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-Fla.) shot down the idea that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)'s candidacy for Florida governor will be successful in an interview with The State of Florida. More from Politico's handbook Podcast.
Asked if he thought Gaetz would run for governor of Florida, Cramer said, “I don't think it would work. But I don't live there. Florida is a big, complicated state.”
Gaetz appeared to tease the possibility in response to a tweet on Saturday that hinted he might run for governor.
“@mattgaetz will be the next Governor of Florida,” Lake County Republican Party Chairman Anthony Sabatini wrote. post on social platform X on Saturday.
gates answered Within an hour of Sabatini's post with a clip of a waving Florida flag.
Gates recently withdrew his candidacy as it appeared that President-elect Trump's appointment as attorney general would not go smoothly. The former Florida congressman has come under fire in the past two weeks as the House Ethics Committee investigates allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use against Gaetz. Gaetz's resignation from Congress effectively ended the investigation, and the committee decided not to release its report following a meeting earlier this week.
Gaetz said Friday that he would not return to Congress for the next session.
Cramer had expressed doubts about the Florida Republican's ability to be confirmed by the Senate last week, before Gaetz announced his withdrawal. Mr. Kramer suggested that Mr. Gaetz may not be able to “cross the finish line” in the upper chamber of Congress.
Mr. Cramer also said that confirming Mr. Gaetz as head of the Department of Justice would be worth all the “political capital” that Republican leaders would have to expend in persuading reluctant colleagues to vote for him. I also wondered if there was.
