Matt Gaetz says he is 'starting to think' about a bid for Florida governor in 2026

Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday said that he is "starting to think" about running for Florida governor next year, but will be spending more time praying about it and talking to his wife Ginger before making any official decision.

The conservative firebrand, who left Congress late last year to become President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general before he withdrew from consideration, is considered a polarizing figure in Republican politics. But the former lawmaker is particularly popular among Trump's supporters. 

Gaetz, who recently started his own show on the right-leaning One America News Network (OANN), told the Tampa Bay Times that he is “starting to think about running for governor” and has a vision for the state's future.

“I have a compelling vision for the state,” Gaetz said. “I understand how to fix the insurance problem, and it’s not to hand the keys to the state over to the insurance industry. If I run, I would be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side.”

Gaetz said he does not believe the recent controversies surrounding him, which include allegations that he had sexual relations with a minor, would impede his chances of winning the state's highest office.

“Those lies have been told about me for years,” he said. “They’ve never affected my ability to win elections.”

The former congressman is the first to openly toy with a potential bid, but Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody are also rumored to be contemplating their own bids. 

Florida's current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is term limited and cannot run for reelection next year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.