In the ongoing feud between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), McCarthy has endorsed Gaetz’s primary challenger in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. Aaron Dimmock, a former Naval officer, recently announced his candidacy and now has the support of McCarthy.
McCarthy criticized Gaetz, comparing him to Hunter Biden and highlighting Dimmock’s pro-life and pro-Second Amendment stances, as well as his military background. Despite McCarthy’s endorsement, it may not have a significant impact on the election in a district where Gaetz previously won by a large margin.
The feud between McCarthy and Gaetz stems from Gaetz’s leadership in the effort to remove McCarthy from his position as speaker. McCarthy has accused Gaetz of trying to stop an ethics investigation into him, but Gaetz denies these allegations.
Gaetz responded to McCarthy’s endorsement by challenging him to campaign with Dimmock in northwest Florida. Dimmock has expressed support for diversity and the Black Lives Matter movement in the past, prompting criticism from Gaetz.
The Republican primary is set for Aug. 20, with Gaetz expected to win the nomination. He will then face Democratic challenger Gay Valimont in the general election in November.
