Hours after Trump endorsed him, Jimmy Patronis resigned to run for Gaetz’s seat in the House of Representatives.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis resigned Monday and announced he would run in the special election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz after President-elect Donald Trump urged him to launch a congressional bid .

In a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd, Patronis said he would step down as the state’s chief financial officer “effective March 31, 2025,” just one day before the election specials in Florida’s 1st Congressional District.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Florida’s chief financial officer for nearly eight years,” Patronis wrote. He previously said he was “strongly considering” running for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which covers the westernmost part of the state’s Panhandle.

Patronis’ resignation came just hours after Trump preemptively endorsed him for the House seat, which has been represented by Gaetz since 2017. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this month after Trump named him as his choice for attorney general of the United States.

Gaetz then withdrew his bid for attorney general last week as he faced increasing scrutiny over years-old allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

The former congressman, who was just re-elected in this month’s elections, said he will not return to Congress next year.

LEARN MORE: Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress after dropping his bid for attorney general

While a handful of Republicans have already entered the race to succeed Gaetz in Congress, Trump’s decision to back Patronis — who hadn’t even announced a campaign for the seat when Trump stepped in — gives the CFO coming out of Florida a huge advantage.

Florida’s 1st Congressional District is among the most conservative in the state, and Trump’s support will likely be very important in the special election to replace Gaetz. Shortly after Trump weighed in on the race, state Rep. Michelle Salzman, who announced her candidacy for the House seat last week, also threw her support behind Patronis.

“Politics is a constantly evolving chessboard. Our first priority as elected officials should be our constituents. If we put them first, we all win! » Salzmann written the. “Jimmy was supported by the leader of our party and that should be enough for us to support him. Congratulations @JimmyPatronis.

Patronis’ resignation will give DeSantis a chance to appoint a replacement CFO before the next regular election scheduled for 2026.

In addition to Patronis, Trump is also urging State Senator Randy Fine running in the special election to succeed U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. Waltz was tapped to become Trump’s national security adviser.