First aired on FOX: Fighter pilot and decorated military veteran Jeff Witt announced Monday that he will enter the race as a Republican to take former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz's seat representing Florida's 1st Congressional District. did. He vows to “fight to control inflation and protect our borders.” Fox News Digital has learned that he is working with Republican lawmakers to pass President Trump's “America First” policy.
Witt, 38, is a two-time Harvard graduate, businessman, decorated Afghanistan War veteran, F-35 fighter pilot, and instructor with more than a dozen years of military service. be. Witt flew 82 combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom.
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Mr. Witt currently serves as a policy advisor to President Trump-Vance's transition team.
“I have served my country in uniform for 14 years, and that dedication to service extends to the communities in which I and my family live,” Witt told FOX News Digital. “I am excited to meet with voters from all districts during this campaign and prove to them that they can trust me to be their leader in Congress to represent them with faith, hard work, and integrity.”
“We will fight to control inflation, secure our borders and strengthen our military,” Witt told Fox News Digital.
Jeff and his wife Courtney are the proud parents of four young children: Joan (6 years old), Kirby (5 years old), Grace (3 years old), and Charlie (8 months old).
“I will listen to the needs of my constituents and work on their behalf to make Florida's 1st District the greatest place in America for veterans, businesses and families,” he said.
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Witt and his wife Courtney have four young children, six-year-old Joan; Kirby, 5 years old. Grace, 3; and Charlie, 8 months old. The Witt family lives in Niceville, Florida, where Witt is an active member of his church and teaches Sunday school to his children.
Witt attended Harvard University and was a quarterback for Harvard University football. He also holds a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University.
Jeff has 14 years of military service and is a decorated Afghanistan War Veteran. He flew 82 combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom. (Jeff Witt)
Witt, a 2024 Club for Growth Fellow, has already been endorsed by former Trump administration officials, including former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.
“Jeff Witt is a patriot and a passionate supporter of President Trump and his America First philosophy,” Wilkie told Fox News Digital. “As a former Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump, I know that Jeff’s mission is to always put the warrior first, and I am honored to fully support him.”
Wilkie told Fox News Digital that Witt “stands for the right things: family and freedom.”
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“There is no one more qualified to represent Florida's 1st Congressional District than Jeff Witt,” former Air National Guard chief Lt. Gen. Stanley Clark (ret.) told FOX News Digital.
Witt served under Clark, who praised him as “a wonderful father, husband, and officer who dedicated his life to serving this great country.”
Clark said Witt was “a true American patriot who served the American people with honor and honor.”
Witt's campaign comes after President Trump nominated Gates to lead the Justice Department for his second term as attorney general.
Gaetz served as the representative for Florida's 1st Congressional District from January 2017 to the beginning of this month, but resigned after being nominated for attorney general.
Born in Orlando, Witt currently lives in Niceville with his family. Witt is a Christian and an active member of his church, where he teaches children's Sunday school.
Gaetz withdrew his name from the list of nominees for attorney general on Thursday, saying his confirmation process “unfairly impedes the important transition work of Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance.”
Gates resigned as representative of Florida's 1st Congressional District earlier this month after President Trump nominated him for attorney general. Gaetz has since withdrawn his name from the list of candidates for the top Justice Department position, but said Friday he would not seek to return to Congress.
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Witt joins a growing group of Republican primary candidates vying for the seat, including Florida Sen. Michelle Saltzman, Dr. Joel Rudman; join. Keith Gross and John Frankman. Bernadette Pittman. Kevin Gaffney, former federal government employee and teacher;
A date for the special election has not yet been set.
Witt is the younger brother of Patrick Witt, a member of Trump's transition team who ran for Georgia in 2022 with President Trump's support. Patrick Witt also served as deputy chief of staff in the Office of Personnel Management during the first Trump administration.
