Gaetz fends off primary challenge in Florida, dealing blow to McCarthy

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has won the Republican primary for his seat in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, fending off a challenger backed by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) as part of the Californian’s revenge tour against the Republicans who ousted him. 

Gaetz defeated Aaron Dimmock, a retired naval officer and leadership consultant, after a contentious race that put a spotlight on the long-running feud between the fourth-term conservative firebrand and the ex-Speaker. 

Dimmock told The Hill ahead of the primary that he’s never spoken to McCarthy, but Dimmock had his endorsement, and the political newcomer’s campaign got a boost of more than $3 million from a super PAC aligned with McCarthy. 

Florida Patriots PAC ran biting ads knocking Gaetz over allegations of sexual misconduct, which the lawmaker has denied. The Florida Republican is under an ongoing investigation from the House Ethics Committee, though the Justice Department decided not to file charges in its sex-trafficking investigation into him last year. He’s dismissed the latest probes as “frivolous.”

Despite the support for his challenge effort, Dimmock faced an uphill battle to beat the Trump-backed incumbent who’s represented the district since 2017. A Gaetz-sponsored poll from July showed the incumbent up more than 40 points over Dimmock, according to FiveThirtyEight. 

Of the Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy from his leadership post last year, Gaetz was the last to face a primary this year. 

McCarthy and his allies saw a win when Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) was ousted in a competitive Virginia primary earlier this year. But the revenge tour took a blow in South Carolina’s primaries, where Rep. Nancy Mace (R) comfortably held off her challengers. 

McCarthy and Gaetz clashed at last month’s Republican National Convention, underscoring tensions in the House GOP as the party pushes forward a message of unity for the fall.