Matt Gaetz, an American lawyer and politician has served as the U.S representative for Florida’s 1st Congressional district since 2017. He was on the Republican ballot for the Florida elections on August 23, 2022.

Matt Gaetz defeated his primary opponent Mark Lombardo and won Tuesday’s elections. He now has the GOP’s nomination for Florida’s 1st Congressional district. The lawmaker won more than 66% of the votes.

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Who is Matt Gaetz?

Matt Gaetz, 40, currently represents Florida’s 1st Congressional district in the US House of Representatives. He is also being probed by federal authorities for allegedly having links to a case of human trafficking and statutory rape of a 17-year-old girl.  

According to his Congressional website, Matt pursued interdisciplinary sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He later moved to Virginia’s Williamsburg and got his Juris Doctorate from William and Mary Law School. 

Before entering the political sphere, Matt Gaetz was an attorney at Keefe, Anchors & Gordon law firm, which is based in Florida. He was first elected to Florida’s state House of Representatives in 2010.

Gaetz is a member of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee but was snubbed from the Oversight, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.

Often known to give controversial political remarks, Gaetz has been associated with Republican lawmakers like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorne and others.

Personal life

Matt was born in Hollywood, Florida, to Don and Vicky Gaetz and grew up in Northwest Florida. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Gaetz is married to Ginger Luckey and has one son, Nestor.

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Gaetz’s relationship with Trump

Gaetz has often described himself as a staunch supporter of former US President Donald Trump. He also backed Trump’s claim of the 2020 Presidential elections are rigged.

According to the January 6 committee, Gaetz was also one of the few lawmakers who asked Trump for a presidential pardon that would clear his name from “any and all things.”