Instead, the Pandhandle Republican publicly expressed interest in a Florida Cabinet position.
“I have no interest in running against Marco Rubio for the US Senate,” Gaetz tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “In 2022 the only statewide position I would consider running for in the current political climate is Commissioner of Agriculture.”
Gaetz’s reveal comes at the beginning of his third term in the House, a place where he is known for his unwavering support of President Donald Trump.
Outside of the House, the Republican provocateur earned national notoriety on cable news appearances. He was a frequent opener at Trump rallies and even opened for the President at the Republican National Convention
Though Gaetz may be eyeing a bid for Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner gig, the 38-year-old suggested that nothing is set in stone.
“But things can change. (Not the Senate thing though),” Gaetz said about 2022 speculation.
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner seat is currently held by Nikki Fried, who serves as the state’s highest elected Democrat. Prognosticators expect Fried to run against Gov. Ron DeSantis in his reelection bid.
Notably, Gaetz in December filed for re-election in Congressional District One. CD 1 is a right-leaning district that covers a portion of the Panhandle and spans Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
Gaetz in November slammed the Election Day door to challenger Phil Ehr in Florida’s Congressional District 1. Gaetz collected 64%, or 279,747 votes to Ehr’s 146,212.
Rubio, meanwhile, has downplayed his not-so-secret presidential ambitions. In December, he said he would seek reelection to the Senate in 2022.
“I still have work to do in the U.S. Senate,” Rubio said. “We’ve had a very successful four years out of the six years in this term. I have two years left in this term, and we have a lot of work to do. We’re full steam ahead.”
This article first appeared at Florida Politics.
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This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2021.