Gene Valentino announces campaign to succeed Matt Gaetz

Former Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino announced a campaign in the Special Election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

“As a lifelong conservative, I’m putting myself in this fight to serve the hardworking families of Northwest Florida,” Valentino said. “I am in this race to champion policies that will strengthen our economy, support our veterans, and put America First.”

Valentino will run on his track record both as a County Commissioner and in the private sector, where he was founding president of mobile phone company CellularOne Central California.

He enters an already crowded Republican field in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. Several candidates have already taken steps to run in the Special Election. On the Republican side, state Reps. Joel Rudman and Michelle Salzman, former U.S. Senate candidate Keith Gross, Bikers for Trump leader Bernadette Pittman and former Green Beret John Frankman all made moves to run. While this is the most Republican-leaning district in Florida, Democrat Gay Valimont has also filed.

A Special Election in CD1 was called on Friday. There will be a compressed qualifying period, running from Dec. 5-6. The Primary Election will take place on Jan. 28. The Special General Election Day will take place on April 1.

Valentino since losing reelection in 2014 has run the Grassroots Truthcast podcast.

According to his campaign website, Valentino will run on a platform of eliminating federal income taxes and reducing special interest influence in Congress.

“It’s time to clean house in Washington and rid our government of the career politicians and the unelected bureaucrats who are selling out our country,” the website states. “ The government has grown far too powerful, using taxpayer dollars to fuel their own agendas, undermining the will of the American people. I’m a businessman first, not a politician. I’m ready to reset the system and put America back in the hands of ordinary citizens. When I’m elected I will turbocharge ‘DOGE’ and make sure (Elon) Musk, (Vivek) Ramaswamy, and other business patriots have Congressional backing to GET THE DAMN JOB DONE!”

Located in the Panhandle and anchored by Pensacola, 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. This year, he secured re-election with 66% of the vote. Florida’s 1st Congressional District is overwhelmingly conservative, with more than 53% of the electorate registered as a Republican, according to the most recent L2 voter data. Only 22% of the district’s voters are registered as Democrats.