Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) cast doubt on the possibility of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) running for governor of Florida successfully, sharing his views during an appearance on Politico’s Playbook Deep Dive podcast. When asked if Gaetz would make a viable candidate, Cramer responded, “Not successfully, I don’t think. But I don’t live there. Florida is a big, complicated state.”
Gaetz had sparked speculation about a gubernatorial run after responding to a tweet suggesting his candidacy. Lake County GOP leader Anthony Sabatini wrote on the social platform X, “@mattgaetz will be the next Governor of the State of Florida.” Within an hour, Gaetz posted a clip of the Florida state flag waving, fueling the speculation.
In a candid assessment, Cramer believes Gaetz’s gubernatorial aspirations may be unrealistic
Recently, Gaetz withdrew from consideration for President-elect Trump’s attorney general post after it became clear his confirmation would face massive hurdles. The former congressman was under scrutiny from a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use, but the probe was effectively ended when Gaetz resigned from Congress. The committee later decided not to release its findings.
On Friday, Gaetz confirmed he would not return to Congress for the next session. Prior to Gaetz’s withdrawal, Cramer had expressed skepticism about Gaetz’s Senate confirmation prospects, suggesting the Florida Republican might struggle to “get across the finish line” in the upper chamber.
Cramer also questioned whether the political effort to secure Gaetz’s confirmation as attorney general would be worth the “political capital” it would require from GOP leaders to convince hesitant senators to support him.
