Gov. DeSantis: Work to set Special Elections will begin ‘immediately’ as Matt Gaetz, Mike Waltz move to Donald Trump admin

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 5/5/23-Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference after the 2023 legislative session concluded, Friday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Florida’s Governor hasn’t always rushed to set up Special Elections, but on Thursday, he is saying two Congressional seats will be filled with all possible speed.

“I’ve instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to formulate and announce a schedule for the upcoming special elections immediately,” posted Gov. Ron DeSantis to the X social media platform.

Byrd says the Department of State “will have this schedule posted soon” and is “working to ensure these special elections are conducted as soon as possible.”

The seats in question in Florida’s 1st and 6th Congressional Districts were held, respectively, by Matt Gaetz, who will need Senate confirmation to become Attorney General, and Mike Waltz, who will advise President-elect Donald Trump on national security.

DeSantis is congratulating the Congress members in question, as well as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who will be Secretary of State pending Senate confirmation. He has yet to congratulate Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, an architect of his 2018 election with whom DeSantis split soon thereafter.

DeSantis is making an executive decision to expedite the filling of two Republican seats in a closely divided House of Representatives. But even beginning “immediately” takes time, including time for qualifying. With Primary and General Elections also required, the process to fill the positions will take weeks, even if expedited, given the realities of election administration.

The Governor’s promise of swift action sets a contrast to the slow walk taken when filling a seat held by a Democrat a few years back.

When U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings passed away in office, DeSantis allowed nine months to pass between his death and the Special Election to replace him. The Governor is a former member of Congress, and understands keenly how important the balance of power is in the chamber.

Looming over this process is whether Gaetz can be confirmed, given various Republican skeptics in the Senate who doubt Gaetz will be confirmed due to reputation issues stemming from a Justice Department probe into sex trafficking allegations that began under Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr and ended without charges during the subsequent administration.

Additionally, a House Ethics Committee inquiry was still underway Wednesday into whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct or illegal drug use, and whether he granted special favors to romantic interests. While the resignation terminates that probe, it takes one rogue staffer to leak a draft copy of the report, meaning that as was the case with the Justice investigation, the Panhandle Republican could be tried in the court of public opinion.

Meanwhile, DeSantis still has not declared his intentions regarding his appointment for the Rubio Senate seat.

Republican National Committee Chair Lara Trump is campaigning for the opening, saying that she has lived in Florida for three years and would “love” to replace Rubio. Other names closer to DeSantis’ seem like obvious considerations also, including but not limited to Attorney General Ashley Moody or even First Lady Casey DeSantis.