Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz
Official portrait, 2020
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 1st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byJeff Miller
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 4th district
In office
April 13, 2010 – November 8, 2016
Preceded byRay Sansom
Succeeded byMel Ponder
Personal details
Born
Matthew Louis Gaetz II

(1982-05-07) May 7, 1982 (age 42)
Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Ginger Luckey
(m. 2021)
ParentDon Gaetz (father)
RelativesPalmer Luckey (brother-in-law)
EducationFlorida State University (BS)
College of William & Mary (JD)
WebsiteHouse website

Matthew Louis Gaetz II (/ɡts/ GATES; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017. The district includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party, he is widely regarded as a staunch proponent of far-right politics as well as an ally of former president Donald Trump.[1][2]

The son of prominent Florida politician Don Gaetz and grandson of North Dakota politician Jerry Gaetz, Gaetz was raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. After graduating from the William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, he briefly worked in private practice before running for state representative. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016, and received national attention for defending Florida's controversial "stand-your-ground law".[3] In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was reelected in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

In 2020, Gaetz was accused of sex trafficking and having sexual relationships with minors. After an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to charge him, though Gaetz remains under investigation of the House Ethics Committee. In October 2023, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate which led to the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.[4][5]

  1. ^ Zurcher, Anthony (April 5, 2021). "Matt Gaetz: Why this Trump ally is fighting for his political life". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  2. ^ Sources describing Gaetz as "far-right" include:
  3. ^ Peters, Justin (November 7, 2013). "Meet the Uncompromising Ideologue Chairing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" Hearings". Slate. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Edmondson, Catie (October 2, 2023). "Gaetz Moves to Oust McCarthy, Threatening His Grip on the Speakership". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  5. ^ Edmondson, Catie; Broadwater, Luke (October 3, 2023). "House to Decide McCarthy's Future as Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.

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