According to a report, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) is considering moving into the Yellowhammer State to mount a 2020 U.S. Senate run.
Gaetz, who represents a portion of the Florida panhandle, is seriously discussing that flirtation with colleagues in the House, The Hill reported.
While the Florida congressman is viewed as an ally of President Donald Trump, Alabamians typically do not react warmly to outsiders interjecting themselves in the state’s internal politics.
“Congressman Gaetz has unquestionably been a great ally for the President, but the implication here would be, ‘Well, no Alabamians are good enough to hold this high office so I’m going to come in and do it for them.’ Carpetbagging never goes over well, especially in a state that resents the fact that outsiders are always telling us how we ought to be living our lives,” former White House Director of Message Strategy Cliff Sims told Yellowhammer News.
Gaetz, 36, could potentially take advantage of Alabama’s lax electoral requirements, which allow people to run for the Senate if they are 30 years old and have been a resident for a minimum of one day. He currently resides in Fort Walton Beach.
Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) told The Hill he had not heard of Gaetz possibly entering the fray.
“In today’s world of politics, who the hell knows what’s going to happen,” the incumbent senator from Mountain Brook added.
Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01), who is currently spearheading a “historic” education initiative for Trump, is thus far the only declared Republican candidate against Jones.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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