Niceville fighter pilot Jeff Witt seeks Matt Gaetz's former congressional seat

Niceville resident Jeff Witt launched his campaign to fill the congressional seat recently vacated by Matt Gaetz on Monday — just hours before President-Elect Donald Trump endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis for the job.

Witt, 38, is a Harvard graduate, decorated military officer and advocate of "America First" policies. He was already entering a crowded race for Florida's 1st Congressional District, and it wasn't immediately clear whether he planned to stay in the race Monday afternoon. Speaking earlier that morning, Witt framed his decision to run as the continuation of a career in public service.

"After I graduated college, I eschewed the Wall Street career that most of my fellow classmates were going for," he said, "and I chose to join the Air Force and the Air National Guard."

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Witt deployed to Afghanistan, where he flew 82 combat missions as an F-35 pilot, often under fire. Witt said it was this experience, along with his Catholic faith and four young children, that inspired him to enter politics.

"They're my whole world," he said of his family, "and I just want the country that they grew up in to be one that is free and prosperous ... And I do feel like in the last four years under the Biden administration that those dreams were slipping."

A Crowded Field

The race for Florida's 1st District has quickly grown crowded, with both Republicans and Democrats eager to step in. With the primary election scheduled for January 28 and the general election set for April 1, though, candidates are working on an accelerated timeline. Political experts suggest this tight schedule will favor those with established name recognition and significant resources.

While Witt lacks the established political profile of his rivals, he has significant outside resources and connections, including ties to the Trump administration. His brother, Patrick Witt, is Chief Operating Officer of the America First Transition Project at the influential America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and was previously endorsed by Trump when he ran to be Georgia's Insurance Commissioner.

However, those connections were not enough to secure the endorsement of Trump this time around. The president-elect's endorsement of Patronis could significantly reshape the race in the leadup to the primary. State Rep. Michelle Salzman, who'd previously been seen as a front-runner, bowed out shortly after news of the endorsement broke.

"Politics is an ever-changing chessboard," she posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Our first priority as elected officials should be our constituents. If we put them first, we all win! Jimmy has been endorsed by the leader of our party and that should be enough for us to get behind him."

Former Rep. Frank White, who'd also been discussed as a possible successor to Gaetz, had already endorsed Patronis last week. Others are sure to follow suit.

America First

Witt's platform centers around an "America First" policy agenda.

"America First means making sure that we are prioritizing American citizens first," Witt said, "that our government should serve our citizens before others. We should ensure that our military is used to defend American interests and American borders before we're defending others."

Witt said his three key priorities, if elected, would be controlling inflation, securing borders, and strengthening national defense. He is also pushing for increased domestic energy production. He was careful to say he'd be cautious about expanding oil drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, but wouldn't rule out the possibility entirely.

"Energy prices are at the core of every price in our economy," he said, "and, if we can get those prices down, that's going to really help with inflation... But I was devastated by Deepwater Horizon like anyone who lives here was."

On climate change, Witt expressed skepticism towards regulatory solutions, instead advocating for a market-driven approach.

"I think a lot of what's happening with the climate is beyond human control and beyond human cause," he said, "and I think it would be foolish for us to destroy our economy chasing after reports that are coming out of the UN or other climate bodies."

Witt has also emphasized his commitment to what he called "family values" and veterans' advocacy, given his own military background.

"I want to make sure that, with so many veterans in this district, we have all the resources that we need to take care of those veterans as they should be," he said.

Witt also highlighted his concerns about the military's current direction under the Biden administration, particularly with regards to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and American support for Ukraine.

"You know, I support diversity in principle," he said, "but I don't support stand downs in the DOD and spending half of our training days focusing on diversity training rather than training to fight and being prepared to defend our country. I also think that we are in a very dangerous place with our foreign policy right now. The Biden administration has got us perilously close to a war with Russia."

Honor and Civility

Witt emphasized his commitment to "honor" and "civility" in public service.

"I take my position as an officer very seriously," he said, "and I would look to apply that also to my role as a congressman. I would serve with honor. I do believe that civility is important."

When asked how he would differentiate himself from Gaetz, though, Witt was reluctant to distance himself too far, emphasizing instead their shared qualities.

"Matt Gaetz is a fighter," Witt said. "He fought for the eight years that he represented this district, and I will be a fighter too. I'm going to fight for the interests of the people of the Florida First District and no one will work harder than me."