The Republican front-runner in the race to capture the Florida U.S. House seat relinquished by Matt Gaetz is not the least bit concerned about possibly being part of a slim majority in the lower chamber.
That's because Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who has been endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump, says he'll employ a business-like approach in Washington if he's elected.
"I've got an incredible track record. I've got a great work ethic. I'm a problem solver," Patronis told Newsmax on Thursday afternoon. "I was in the restaurant business for 30 years, and my attitude has always been, If you don't take care of the customer, somebody else will. The restaurant business is very competitive."
"My attitude with government has always been, If you don't take care of the customer, I'm going to find somebody else who will. That culture doesn't happen overnight, but I'm really adamant that we are here to serve the citizens of the state of Florida in District 1, and ultimately, our nation. So yeah, it's a tight margin, there's going to be tough votes, but our country is worth fighting for."
Gaetz resigned from the House after he was nominated to be Trump's attorney general. The former lawmaker since has stepped out of the nomination process.
A field of 16 Republicans, a single Democrat, and a handful of write-in candidates qualified for the Jan. 28 House seat primary, before an April 1 special election to decide who will replace Gaetz in the solid red area.
Patronis, who has submitted his resignation as CFO effective April 1, said he was inspired to run by seeing both how Trump responded to the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how the Biden administration's Department of Justice became weaponized.
"I looked at what happened to the president with his assassination attempt, and I think it inspired a lot of people," he said. "It inspired me when this guy gets off the ground and yells, 'Fight, fight, fight.' It's only by an act of God he's still alive today.
"I just feel like this is a message, and something we should do. I could make more money and probably have a better quality of life minding my own business at my family's restaurant business, but when you have a chance to serve your country, you always should do it in one way or form."
The DOJ's weaponization offered even more motivation to run for the House seat.
"The way the courts were weaponized against [Trump] is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime — and on such a public scale in such deep blue parts of our country," Patronis said. "That's probably been more of an inspiration of why I feel like we have to right this ship, so we don't have that level of political instability and raw fear entering into the system where literally we're being tried to be put behind bars like a banana republic because of their political beliefs."
Saying he and his wife Katie are "very spiritual," Patronis added, "I feel like I wouldn't be where I am today if not for God's grace opening up so many doors for us."
The Florida Panhandle native said Trump called him a day before he and his wife celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
"The president calls and says, 'Jimmy, if you run, I'll endorse you.' So then what the heck are you going to say?" Patronis told Newsmax. "Of course you're going to say, 'Yes sir.'"
"You don't get to tell the leader of the free world no."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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