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Matt Gaetz | 2020 40 Under 40 in Government and Politics

September 4, 2020

Florida congressman Matt Gaetz knows how to provoke, and he knows how to draw controversy. From a surprise son (in a heated exchange in Congress, Gaetz claimed that he had a teenage son from Cuba, though they aren't related by blood) to conspiracy theories, Gaetz always manages to find a flame to fan. But his star in the Republican Party is quickly rising. The young Florida native and Trump loyalist has views that differ from those of traditional conservatives, endearing him to a younger, more libertarian crowd and causing some to believe he represents the future of the right. In 2019, he was one of only two Republicans to vote to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, and in 2015, he cosponsored an amendment with Democratic Rep. David Richardson to repeal a Florida ban on adoptions by same-sex couples.

Liberals love to hate the 38-year-old representative, but he doesn't plan on going anywhere. Gaetz openly contemplated a 2020 Senate run in Alabama before deciding against it, but many believe he's just biding his time and will be running for higher office in the near future.