It’s no secret that Rep. Matt Gaetz is far from the most popular man in Congress, but a new poll shows that Floridians don’t like him either.
Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is rumored to be running for governor in 2026, has just 21% approval from Sunshine State voters while 57% disapprove, according to the Florida Atlantic University Mainstreet PolCom Lab poll.
Of the remainder, 8% of voters had a neutral opinion of him and 14% said they were not sure how they felt.
The right-wing representative was thrust into the national spotlight last month after he successfully engineered the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker of the House.
Gaetz and seven other Republicans joined a solid bloc of 208 Democrats to oust McCarthy, who became the first House speaker to be removed by a vote of his peers.
The Floridian claims the effort was fueled by frustration over the stopgap measures McCarthy took in late September to avoid a partial government shutdown, as well as other allegedly broken promises.
Back home in his district, Matt Gaetz has been unbeaten since he ascended to Congress in 2017. AFP via Getty Images
McCarthy claimed the rebellion was part of a personal vendetta and claimed Gaetz was angry because McCarthy refused to intervene in the ethics investigation, something the Florida Republican denied.
The poll sampled 946 voters between Oct. 27-Nov. 11 with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.2 percentage points.
Since 2017, Gaetz has locked up the seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, winning re-election by 35 percentage points last year.
Outside of Geatz’s Panhandle perch, sentiment toward him is less favorable — even among GOP voters.
Speaker Mike Johnson brought forward to avoid a government shutdown as proposed by Kevin McCarthy before he was ousted. Annabelle Gordon – CNP / MEGA Kevin McCarthy wants Matt Gaetz punished for his actions.ZUMAPRESS.com
About 36.6% of Republicans approve of Gaetz statewide, compared to 36.3% who disapprove.
When Republicans were asked about removing McCarthy as speaker, only 42% approved, 35% opposed and the rest said they did not know.
Among Democrats, 82.9% disapprove of Gaetz, while among independents, 53.8% disapprove and 21.1% approve of his job performance, according to the poll.
There is buzz about Matt Gaetz running for governor. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Despite reports and speculation that Gaetz is eyeing the governor’s mansion, he has denied or downplayed a potential run.
Some of his staunchest critics in Congress, such as McCarthy himself, have called for him to be punished for ousting the former speaker.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
