11 candidates have qualified so far for the Special Election to succeed Matt Gaetz

Eleven candidates have already qualified to run in a Special Election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. More are expected to enter the running before a noon deadline on Friday.

A new addition to the field is Greg Merk, a former candidate for the Florida House in 2018 who lost a Republican Primary to now-state Rep. Alex Andrade. The Pensacola Republican’s campaign said Merk wants to “expose the global Marxists who are targeting the US economy using false narratives of climate change to transform America and redistribute wealth around the world.” He filed with the state on Thursday and paid a $10,440 qualifying fee.

Additionally, Jeff Peacock, a Milton Republican who previously served as New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin’s outreach and strategic policy director, filed for the seat and qualified with the state by fee the same day. The education policy expert previously worked for FreedomWorks as a senior investment relations officer and as a program manager for The Manhattan Institute.

Other previously filed candidates also qualified for the ballot on Thursday. In total, eight Republicans all completed the process to appear on the ballot. They will face off in a Jan. 28 Primary.

Kevin Gaffney, a Freeport Republican, qualified by fee. He has 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.

John Mills, a Navarre Republican, opened a federal account to run for the seat in May and has now qualified with the state. 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.

Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, already landed a critical endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump, and now has qualified for the ballot. Patronis already 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.

State Rep. Joel Rudman also already filed his resignation from the Florida House, effective Jan. 1, in order to run for the open seat, and has now paid his qualifying fee. 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 in 2022. 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, a Pensacola Republican, is vying to be the first Generation Z GOP member of Congress. He qualified for the Special Election by petition. “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 lawyer 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.

Former Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino also 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,” he said. 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.

Only one Republican will advance past the Jan. 28 Primary.

Just one Democrat so far has filed for the seat.

Gay Valimont, who challenged Gaetz in the General Election, will also run for the seat in the Special Election. She qualified by petition on Thursday. 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.

Two write-in candidates also qualified at no personal expense.

Richard Paul Dembinsky, a Port Orange man, 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.

Stanley Gray initially filed as a Democrat but qualified as a write-in. He is campaigning roadside with hand-drawn signs.

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.