Fighter pilot, decorated combat veteran Jeff Witt announces bid to fill Florida House seat vacated by Gaetz

FIRST ON FOX: Fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran Jeff Witt announced Monday he is entering the race to fill former Rep. Matt Gaetz's seat representing Florida's 1st congressional district as a Republican who vows to "fight to get inflation under control, secure our borders, and strengthen our military," while working with fellow GOP lawmakers to pass President Trump's "America First" agenda, Fox News Digital has learned.

Witt, 38, is a two-time graduate of Harvard University, a businessman, decorated Afghanistan War veteran, F-35 fighter pilot and instructor with more than a dozen years of military service. Witt flew 82 combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom. 

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Witt is currently serving as a policy advisor on the Trump-Vance Presidential Transition Team. 

"I have served my country in uniform for 14 years, and my dedication to service extends to the community in which my family and I live," Witt told Fox News Digital. "I am excited to meet voters from all across the district in this campaign, and prove to them that they can trust me to be a leader in Congress who represents them with conviction, hard work, and integrity." 

Witt told Fox News Digital that he will "fight to get inflation under control, secure our borders, and strengthen our military." 

"I will listen to the needs of my constituents, and I will work on their behalf to make Florida’s 1st District the finest place in America for veterans, businesses, and families," he said. 

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Witt and his wife Courtney are parents of four young children, Joan, 6; Kirby, 5; Grace, 3; and Charlie, 8 months old. The Witt family resides in Niceville, Fla., where he is an active member of his church and teaches his children’s Sunday school. 

Witt attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies and was a Harvard football quarterback. He also received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. 

A 2024 Club for Growth fellow, Witt has already been endorsed by top former Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie. 

"Jeff Witt is a patriot and a staunch supporter of President Trump and his America First agenda," Wilkie told Fox News Digital. "As the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump, I know that Jeff’s mission will always be to put warriors first. I am honored to give Jeff my full endorsement." 

Wilkie told Fox News Digital that Witt "stands for the right things—family and freedom."  

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"There will be no one better than Jeff Witt to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District," former director of the Air National Guard Lt. Gen. (ret.) Stanley Clarke told Fox News Digital. 

Witt served under Clarke, who praised him as "an amazing father, husband, and officer who has dedicated his life to serving this great country." 

"A true American patriot who will serve Americans with honor and distinction," Clarke said of Witt. 

Witt’s campaign comes after Trump tapped Gaetz as his attorney general to lead the Justice Department in his second term.

Gaetz had represented Florida’s 1st congressional district from January 2017 until earlier this month, when he resigned from his post upon receiving the nomination for attorney general.

Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general on Thursday, saying his confirmation process was "unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump-Vance transition." 

Gaetz resigned from his seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District earlier this month when President Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general. Gaetz has since withdrawn his name from consideration to lead the Justice Department, but said Friday he would not attempt to return to Congress. 

Witt joins a growing Republican primary field of candidates vying for the seat, including Florida State Sen. Michelle Salzman, Dr. Joel Rudman; Keith Gross and John Frankman; Bernadette Pittman; and former federal government official and teacher Kevin Gaffney. 

The date for the special election has yet to be set. 

Witt is the brother of Patrick Witt, a member of the Trump Transition team who ran for statewide office in Georgia in 2022 with the endorsement of President Trump. Patrick Witt also served in the first Trump administration as deputy chief of staff in the Office of Personnel Management.