16 candidates remain in the mix for a Special Election to replace Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz is no longer up for AG, but the damage is done. Image via AP.

While a number of serious candidates already dropped out of the Special Election to succeed Matt Gaetz, 16 candidates remain.

Now, these candidates must decide by noon on Friday whether to pay a qualifying fee of nearly $7,000 for nonpartisan candidates and more than $10,000 for partisan candidates. Those who qualify will appear on the ballot in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. A Primary will be held on Jan. 28, with a Special General Election scheduled for April 1.

Located in the Panhandle and anchored by Pensacola, CD 1 is one of the most conservative districts in the state. Gaetz was elected to the seat in 2016, winning more than 69% of the vote. This year, he won with 66% of the vote. More than 53% of the electorate is registered as a Republican, according to the most recent L2 voter data. Only 22% of the district’s voters are registered as Democrats.

The following are listed as candidates so far:

— Tyler Leeana Davis: A Pensacola woman who previously filed as a write-in candidate for President has now filed for Congress with no party affiliation. “I aim to revolutionize our country-the jobs that we do, the way that we work, the way we work with others-and keep the US as a world leader and innovator,” she wrote in a position paper for her prior campaign.

— Richard Paul Dembinsky: The Port Orange man has filed as a write-in candidate. VoteSmart said he previously ran in Florida’s 6th Congressional District this year, in Senate District 7 in 2008, for Governor in 2006 and in House District 28 in 2004.

— Kevin Gaffney: The Freeport Republican filed with the state on Nov. 26, and touted his background working for the Justice Department. An online biography said Gaffney worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Unit in Chicago and for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Enforcement Division in Washington. He also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of General Counsel, in Illinois. Gaffney now teaches on American government and economics at Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville.

— Stanley Gray: Initially filed as a Democrat, the Panhandle activist has now changed his state candidacy to be a write-in option. He is campaigning roadside with hand-drawn signs.

— Jonathan Garrett Green: The Senior Project Manager & Lead Humanity Mediator at Pensacola-based J. Garrett Green & Associates has filed as a no-party candidate. Green also serves as part-time faculty in criminal justice for Columbia Southern University. His firm bills itself as a Civil Rights Mediator and was at one point the Florida affiliate of the Black Voters Matter Fund, tying the firm to legal efforts challenging Florida’s congressional map.

— Uluma Expete Kama: In the past, Ekpete Kama sought federal office both as a Republican and a Democrat. Most recently, she challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. David Scott of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District in a Democratic Primary in May 2024. In 2022, Ekpete Kama ran for U.S. Senate in Florida as a write-in candidate. This election, she filed as a Republican. “I believe we need to bring resolution to some issues concerning illegal immigration that defied government initiatives while addressing both national and border security,” reads her prior campaign site.

— Stan McDaniels: The only Libertarian currently filed for the seat, McDaniels previously challenged Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender in a 2022 Republican Primary. He withdrew from another county race last cycle. “My election was unfortunately cut short due to LAWFARE! And now I’m running for Florida District 1 Congressional seat,” he posted on X. He has criticized some of President-elect Donald Trump’s political appointments, including Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, from the right, and has advocated for gun rights.

— John Mills: The Republican candidate opened a federal account to run for the seat in May and announced he will run in the seat. The retired Navy pilot said he will focus on being a “Citizen Representative” and won’t be beholden to special interests. “Washington has lost touch with everyday Americans,” he said in a press release. His agenda includes defending the Second Amendment, ending illegal immigration, unleashing the nation’s energy independence and bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. Mills in 2022 challenged then-state Sen. Doug Broxson in a Republican Primary.

— Tevin Channing Minus: The Pace man’s LinkedIn page shows the speech pathologist works at Action Therapy Group in Pensacola. He worked for the Army as a cryptologic linguist. Now he has filed with the state as a no-party candidate.

— Jimmy Patronis: Florida’s Chief Financial Officer has already landed a critical endorsement from Trump. Patronis also resigned his statewide office to run, and cannot revoke the resignation whether he wins or loses the race. In a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, he touted achievements over his time in the Florida Cabinet, where he has served since 2010. “We have worked with the Florida Legislature to provide benefits for mental health and cancer for Florida’s first responders,” Patronis wrote. “They are always there when we need them, and in return, we showed up for them in their time of need.” The Panama City Republican will vacate his current post on March 31.

— Bernadette Pittman: The head of one of Florida’s top Bikers for Trump groups appeared to be revving up to run for Congress in mid-November, filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Pittman, also the CEO of boathouse construction company Pittman Marine, at one point promised an announcement of big news on Facebook, and still has her federal account open.

— Joel Rudman: The state Representative has already filed his resignation from the Florida House, effective Jan. 1, in order to run for the open seat. The Navarre Republican counts himself as a close ally of Gaetz, calling himself an “heir apparent” to the seat. Rudman, a physician, joined the Legislature after winning a Republican Primary over Mariya Calkins in the heavily Republican House District 3. He won re-election to a second term in November. Rudman first ran for office when his positions on COVID prompted people to challenge his medical license. In the Legislature, he helped pass a “medical freedom” law that he said now combines “the rights of medical conscience with the rights of physicians’ freedom of speech.”

— Michael Dylan Thompson: The Pensacola Republican would be the first Generation Z GOP member of Congress. “We can’t wait for generational politicians to bring the change Floridians need,” his Facebook page reads. He spoke to Newsweek about his candidacy, where the attorney also stressed the need for members of his party to better communicate with young voters. “Democrats are ahead of the game in electing young officials for Congress,” he said. A native of Pensacola, he graduated as valedictorian of Booker T. Washington High before studying political science at the University of Alabama. He also was Vice President of the Federalist Society at Yale Law School.

— Gene Valentino: The former Escambia County Commissioner announced last month he will run for the open seat in Congress. “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. Valentino since losing re-election in 2014 has run the Grassroots TruthCast podcast.

— Gay Valimont: The Democrat who challenged Gaetz in the General Election, Valimont announced she will also run for the seat in the Special Election and in 2026. The Moms Demand Action activist said the region still needs a restoration of respect in its representation. “Just days after the voters of this district entrusted their representation to him, Matt Gaetz abandoned his seat and walked away from the responsibility of serving the people of Northwest Florida, leaving us with no representation in Congress,” she said at her latest campaign launch. She’s currently the only Democratic candidate filed with the state.

— Angela Marie Walls-Windhauser: The CEO of God’s Finest House Drama Outreach of Florida, according to her LinkedIn page, Walls-Windhauser previously ran against U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in a Republican Primary but did not qualify for the ballot, according to Ballotpedia. The Republican candidate currently lists a home address in Winter Garden in Central Florida. She ran against U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in 2016 and lost a Republican Primary, and has also run for President.