Janelle Irwin Taylor
State Rep. Michelle Salzman would like to replace “state” in her title with “U.S.,” announcing her intent to run in a Special Election for Florida’s 1st Congressional District.
Salzman, who had previously made it clear publicly that she intended to run, announced Tuesday that she had filed for the race, though as of 1 p.m. her name had not yet appeared as a candidate on the Federal Election Commission or the state Division of Elections.
“I’m making my intentions to run for Congress by filing today,” she posted to X. “I want to do what is best for our country and helping President Trump with the Make America Great Again Agenda!”
Salzman then tagged President-elect Donald Trump in her post.
The Panhandle-based district, anchored by Pensacola, is open after Gaetz resigned from Congress following Trump’s selection of Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General.
Salzman currently represents Florida House District 1, also in the Panhandle.
Salzman joins at least two other Republicans who have announced bids for Gaetz’s former congressional seat. John Frankman, an army veteran who left service due to the previous COVID vaccine mandate, announced his intent to run this week. So too did Keith Gross, who earlier this year challenged U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in the GOP Primary, losing after earning just 9% of the vote against the incumbent.
Democrat Gay Valimont has also said she would run again. Valimont challenged Gaetz in his 2024 re-election bid, but she lost by a landslide.
The district is one of the state’s most conservative. Gaetz was elected to the seat in 2016, winning more than 69% of the vote. Inside CD 1, more than 53% of the electorate is registered Republican, according to the most recent L2 voter data. Only 22% of the district’s voters are registered as Democrats.
That means it’s likely the winner of the GOP Primary in the Special Election to replace Gaetz, which has not yet been scheduled, will likely be victorious against Valimont or any other Democrat who may enter the race.
Salzman’s entrance into the race was expected, and other names are still rumored to add to the GOP pile.
Still churning in the rumor mill are Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, who was instrumental in transforming Pensacola’s city government to a strong Mayor form of government, and was a popular public servant who would bring with him to the campaign trail strong name ID.
Another contender to keep an eye on is Frank White, a former state Representative in the area who served one term from 2016 to 2018. White also briefly ran for Senate District 1 before backing out and endorsing Don Gaetz, Matt Gaetz’s dad, who went on to win the seat.
White would likely have access to plenty of funding. His father-in-law, Sandy Sansing, owns a chain of auto dealerships and previously led a rash of contributions to White’s previous failed bid for Florida Attorney General.
D.C. Reeves is another name to watch. As current Pensacola Mayor, he would bring strong name ID within that city. But sources tell Florida Politics he might have trouble gaining traction in a GOP Primary — which would likely be the ultimate decider in the race — given Reeves’ past support for Democrats. He’s also new to his term and likes the job. But as a Mayor whose star is on the rise, he’s a name worth watching.
Other state Representatives in the Panhandle could also throw their name in the hat, including Reps. Shane Abbott, Alex Andrade and Joel Rudman.
Salzman previously told Florida Politics she was the front-runner in the race.
“There are very powerful people in Pensacola that are trying to box me out,” she said last week in reference to musings about who might run.
At the time, Salzman said she had not yet made up her mind and was “not excited about running for Congress.”
“But if the right people come to me and ask me to do this, I know it’s the right thing to do,” she said, adding that her goal was to best serve her constituents.
Salzman touted her ability to quickly raise funds and claimed she had pledges of financial support totaling about $250,000.
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November 19, 2024 at 1:55 pm
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