Matt Gaetz Is Out as AG Nominee
Only Eight Days After Being Nominated by Trump,
Matt Gaetz Withdraws
Since 2023, Matt Gaetz has been a lightning rod in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was instrumental in the downfall of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the installation of current House Speaker Mike Johnson. He has been a prominent Trump ally and supporter, and Trump decided to reward him by nominating him to become the Attorney General of the United States.
On November 13th, right after being nominated for the AG position, Gaetz resigned as a congressional representative. Since then, speculation has been circulating about his successor in Congress.
Now that he has withdrawn from consideration as the next AG, renewed interest has arisen regarding his seat in Congress. Right now, that seat is considered vacant. According to the Constitution, a special election is the only way to fill that vacancy. The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, cannot reappoint him. (see No, Matt Gaetz is not guaranteed to get his House seat back after withdrawing from AG consideration)
UPDATE: On November 22, 2024, Gaetz announced that he would not seek re-election to Congress and insinuated that he would find other ways to help Trump. His seat in the House will remain vacant until the special election scheduled for April 1, 2025.
Another special election may be held in New York’s 21st Congressional District. If she is confirmed as U.N. ambassador, Elise Stefanik may resign her seat within the next week or so (22 News WWLP.com). According to N.Y. state law, the governor must “issue a proclamation calling for a special election within 10 days of a vacancy and schedule the election between 70 and 80 days after declaring the vacancy.”
J.D. Vance‘s election to the vice presidency could narrow the Republican margin in the Senate. According to Ohio law, Governor Mike DeVine needs to appoint someone to take Vance’s place until a special election is held in 2026! (Ohio Capital Journal)