(The Center Square) – Formal reading into the congressional record of the resignation by Matt Gaetz from the U.S. House of Representatives and the 119th Congress was done Friday ahead of U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson winning the speakership.
Gaetz, a northwest Florida Republican, won election to a seat in this Congress in November. He then resigned from the 118th Congress upon being nominated for attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump.
Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration on Nov. 21 after a meeting with senators. The House Ethics Committee released a report on Gaetz on Dec. 23 that accused him in multiple instances of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
And Friday, it became official he wouldn’t be going forward in the People’s House.
Gaetz won Florida’s 1st Congressional District. His primary challenger was funded by Republican former House Speaker Mike McCarthy.
Gaetz’s replacement will be elected by voters on Jan. 28 and the general election on April 1, the date of elections for both the 1st Congressional and the soon to be vacant 6th Congressional district seats.
The 6th District is represented by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla.
The former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier voted for Johnson on Friday for speaker and has been selected to be Trump’s national security advisor. His resignation will likely be on Jan. 20, when Trump is inaugurated.
Neither district is likely an option for a Democratic pickup in a tightly-contested House with Republican majority of 219-215 and one vacancy. Gaetz won reelection collecting 66% of the vote on Nov. 5.
Waltz, the first former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier elected to Congress, took the 6th District on Atlantic Coast with 66.54% of the vote.
