- Matthew Louis Gaetz II (/ɡeɪts/ GAYTS; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district from 2017 to 2024. The district includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party, he is widely regarded as a staunch proponent of far-right politics as well as an ally of president-elect Donald Trump.