Florida House Primary Preview: Scandal-Ridden Gaetz Faces Primary Challenge

Florida is hosting the final act of Kevin McCarthy’s revenge tour next Tuesday, as scandal-ridden GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz faces a primary opponent who’s been boosted by millions in outside spending. But Gaetz, armed with a Trump endorsement and his own conservative celebrity status, is the heavy favorite.

Though the latest round of redistricting eliminated Florida’s most competitive congressional districts, a few races could be competitive in November. Democrats are keeping an eye on Republican Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Maria Elvira Salazar, who represent districts that Trump narrowly won in 2020. Republicans are watching central Florida’s 9th District, held by Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.

The Sunshine State will also gain a new member of the delegation in Florida’s 8th District, where Rep. Bill Posey is retiring.

FL-01: Matt Gaetz (R) – Western Panhandle: Pensacola, DestinSolid Republican. Gaetz, the ringleader of the Freedom Caucus rebels who ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has had a target on his back all cycle. But despite his own seedy scandals — and millions of dollars in outside spending from a McCarthy-connected super