Ryan Ray
“Well,” as the kids say, “that escalated quickly.”
One day after Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (again) inflamed members of the Florida Senate by publicly casting doubt upon his father Sen. Don Gaetz‘ conservative credentials on Twitter, Gaetz the younger has reportedly drawn a formidable opponent in his campaign to succeed former President Gaetz.
FloridaPolitics.com reported on Thursday afternoon that Bay County Commissioner George Gainer will mount a bid in Senate District 1, which former President Gaetz has represented since 2009. Rep. Gaetz, the only candidate formally in the race, filed for the seat on May 15 and was thought to be a prohibitive favorite.
That changes with Gainer’s entry. Gainer is in his fifth term on the Bay County Commission — his 13th consecutive year in office, after running unopposed for his seat in 2014 — and has accrued significant political connections in the geographically strategic county and elsewhere in the state.
Not least of those is with Republican Sen. Jack Latvala, who is likely to back Gainer’s bid.
The likely Gaetz vs. Gainer matchup sets the table for another electoral proxy war between Latvala and Sen. Joe Negron over who will become Senate President following 2018 elections, a la last year’s midterm battle between former GOP Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff — a close Latvala ally who received contributions and in-kind support from the Senate’s Dark Star — and Democratic Sen. Maria Sachs, thought to be perhaps the only Democrat to commit to Negron’s presidential bid.
Latvala took umbrage at the younger Gaetz’s cheeky remark at his father’s expense — “I occasionally borrow Senator Gaetz’s neckties. I wish he would occasionally borrow my conservative principles :),” the tweet reads — which came in response to the elder Gaetz’s observation he was surprised his own “roommate” and son could be so collegial in private, but so obstinate in his views on the Senate’s “FHIX 2.0” health care expansion proposal.
The Senate passed the plan 33 to 3 Tuesday afternoon. Latvala joined Sen. Gaetz in voting “yea,” though the House seems all but certain to scuttle the measure when they consider it Friday.
“Not surprised @mattgaetz calls his dad out on Twitter,” Latvala replied, with more than a hint of disdain.
“I’ve always thought family differences should be handled behind closed doors. Show some respect for your dad!” Latvala added, invoking his own intra-generational disagreement with son Rep. Chris Latvala, who like Rep. Gaetz, opposes the Senate’s revamped health plan.
“Although @chrislatvala and I don’t agree on this issue, I appreciate him having enough respect for me to not question my principles,” he continued. “It’s sad to see @mattgaetz question his dad’s conservative principles especially as his dad plans a run for Congress.”
Whether the junior Gaetz’s public criticism will have any effect on his dad’s possible run for U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller‘s congressional seat remains to be seen. In the meantime, it seems to have made Rep. Gaetz’s path to the state Senate considerably steeper.
