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Former Senator Don Gaetz Launches Campaign For District 1 Seat
October 3, 2023
Former Sen. Don Gaetz has announced he is seeking the Republican nomination for State Senate District 1. The seat is currently held by Sen. Doug Broxson, who is leaving office in 2024 due to term limits.
Gaetz, father of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, represented Northwest Florida in the Senate from 2010 to 2016 and served two years as Senate president. Former State Rep. Frank White, who has been a candidate for the Senate seat, withdrew Monday to support Gaetz.
“I have a passion for public service,” White said. “It’s been my privilege to serve in the Florida House and I intend to continue my community service in the future. Now, however, Northwest Florida has an opportunity to be represented by Don Gaetz, a proven champion for our area and for our values. I am pleased to endorse him, and I will do all I can to secure his victory next November.”
“Frank White is a leader for the new Florida. He is a job-creator and business developer with a wonderful family and a deep commitment to his community,” Gaetz said. “I am proud to be his friend and have his endorsement. He has many supporters here and in Tallahassee whose confidence I hope to earn. I know that Frank will serve in elected office again and I look forward to working closely with him and supporting him.
Broxson, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined White in endorsing Gaetz. “Frank White has a bright future in public service,” Broxson said. “And Northwest Florida will be very well served with Don Gaetz back in the Senate. As a former presiding officer, Senator Gaetz has the skill and experience to be effective on day one. I’m delighted to endorse him and look forward to helping him win.”
Gaetz recently concluded five years as chairman of Triumph Gulf Coast where he presided over $300 million in grants to support job creation, career technical education and economic development in Northwest Florida. Gaetz authored and passed the legislation that created Triumph Gulf Coast which will be making an additional $1.2 billion in grants in the area over the next decade.
He is also vice cjair of the Florida Commission on Ethics and a board member of the Florida Education Foundation.
Gaetz is former superintendent of Okaloosa Schools and a long-time business owner in Northwest Florida. He co-founded VITAS Healthcare Corporation, the nation’s largest and leading provider of hospice care. Don and his wife, Vicky, have two adult children – Erin, a digital media producer and Matt, United States Congressman for Northwest Florida.
Comments
23 Responses to “Former Senator Don Gaetz Launches Campaign For District 1 Seat”
I am 77 and I think we need new young blood in politics…Guys my age are out of touch with things that matter most. I didn’t vote for his son and i will not for him either.
Don Gaetz championed that Christian adoption agencies could not adopt solely to heterosexual couples but must adopt out children to homosexuals. If you want a Sodom and Gommorah culture for Floriida then Don Gaetz is your man.
Two Gaetzs too many.
After seeing the shenanigans that his son pulled in Congress yesterday I may have to vote for a democratic, I hope not but young Gaetz will never get my vote again.
I’m thinking that might be too much power in one family.
For those advocating for term limits- let’s consider this.
Politics was never intended to be a career. The Founding Fathers viewed it as a civic duty. So first off, we do away with pensions for serving in office. Second, you get one term in ANY office. No jumping from Senate to the House, to being a mayor- it is one term, period.
That should take care of all of this.
Good deal !
Is he as awful as his son…Matt….
It’s hard to respect him after watching his grandstanding son for so many years. The character of a man’s children says a lot about the man.
@Not Again
In a perfect democracy, you would be right. However, we live in a world where politicians can still gerrymander and actively suppress votes. Term limits are a useful tool to make sure, even if someone were to undermine the integrity of our electoral system, they would only be in office for a limited time.
@RaD
Correct. And that’s my point. What good are term limits if a politician can run again? Essentially, Florida’s term limits law is simply a “press reset” law.
I’m not really a big supporter of term limits? That’s because we already have term limit laws (at least at this moment). They’re called elections.
Maybe he’d be more responsive than Broxson…?
Interesting, the other guy dropped out, though.
NO NOT ANOTHER GATEZ
REGARDING:
“Don and his wife, Vicky, have two adult children – Erin, a digital media producer and Matt, United States Congressman for Northwest Florida.”
One, anyway. I imagine he did the best he could.
David for better people
Says he has a passion for public service he means he has a passion for that government money and all he can take from it all,politics is local
@NotAgain … Florida’s term limits are 8 years. They can finish a term if they hit 8 years sometime after it starts. After a two year break, they can serve another 8 years. Don Gaetz is able to run and serve 8 more years at this point because he has not held office since 2016.
We certainly need a Conservative Like Don .
He should think bigger than state senator. Governor or U.S. Senator. Rick Scott made millions of Medicare and apparently Mr. Gaetz has also. That’s the formula. Imagine seeing Matt with his real father in Washington and not his T.V. dad.
@dreamboat annie
If you thought that was ugly, you should hear the stuff his son says.
If a politician can do this, then what is the point of term limits?
No thank you…..
@james johnston .. what an ugly thing to say.
That’s the vacant smile of a man that is disappointed in his son.