PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The Republican primary for Florida鈥檚 1st Congressional district is like a rematch between and the man he toppled, former .
No, McCarthy isn't on the ballot. But a political committee he controls has spent about $3 million attacking Gaetz with claims he paid a minor for sex and used illicit drugs, while also promoting Gaetz' opponent,
It might not be money well spent this election cycle 鈥� Gaetz has easily fought off primary opponents since his election to Congress from one of Florida's most conservative districts. But Gaetz, ahead of Tuesday's primary, is getting a taste of what he'll face if he runs for governor in two years when Gov. Ron DeSantis has to leave office after two terms.
鈥淜evin McCarthy explicitly said that the reason he's spending millions to trash me here was to impair some future run for governor. I've said many times, I'm not making any plans to run for governor. I like the job I have,鈥� Gaetz said recently after a campaign stop in Pensacola.
The race has become particularly brutal, with McCarthy's PAC running ads saying that 鈥渨itnesses鈥� say he had sex with a 17-year-old escort during a trip to the Bahamas with a donor and other supporters. 鈥淥ur daughters are never safe with the real Matt Gaetz,鈥� an announcer says as the ad closes.
Gaetz led a group of to oust McCarthy last year, plunging the House into weeks of chaos as it sought to replace the fallen speaker. Gaetz isn't the only one of the eight targeted by McCarthy, who gave up his California seat after losing the speaker's chair. against a McCarthy-backed opponent.
The Gaetz's behavior. The Department of Justice also looked into allegations about the Bahamas trip. No criminal charges have been filed and .
McCarthy has said Gaetz led the effort to oust him because McCarthy refused to squash the ethics investigation.
鈥淢att Gaetz wanted to leverage me to stop an ethics complaint that started four years prior. Illegal. I鈥檓 not going to do it,鈥� McCarthy recently said on 鈥淩eal Time with Bill Maher.鈥�
Gaetz and his supporters paint Dimmock as a McCarthy-picked carpetbagger who moved from Missouri just to challenge Gaetz. But Dimmock says he's never met McCarthy and never spoken to him about the race. And while he did recently move from Missouri and still works remotely as a state employee, he said he simply returned to an area where he first had ties 28 years ago when he attended Navy flight school.
鈥淢y mom, my brother both live here. My aunt and uncle live here. Three of our four children were born here,鈥� Dimmock said.
The reason he decided to challenge Gaetz, he said, is because no other Republican stepped forward and he knew the primary was the only chance to defeat the congressman. The winner will face Democrat Gay Valimont in November, but the conservative district tends to vote overwhelmingly Republican in general elections.
鈥淚 thought a person of character and integrity needed to enter the race. No local or state current office holder was willing to do that,鈥� Dimmock said. "There's no way in the world this human being that has demonstrated repeated behaviors over time was going to get a free pass."
While Gaetz has his loyal followers, Dimmock says other Republicans are embarrassed by his behavior and the ethics allegations. Gaetz has made a national name for himself by inflaming liberals with partisan rhetoric and for unwavering support for former President Donald Trump.
Dimmock acknowledges defeating Gaetz will be a challenge in a district where his family is politically powerful. Gaetz' father is former Senate President Don Gaetz and they younger Gaetz was an influential state representative previously.
But, he said, voters appreciate his presence in the race.
鈥淭hey say, 鈥楾hank you so very much for running and giving us an alternative. He鈥檚 been an embarrassment so much that we absolutely need someone else in there. How can we help your campaign,鈥� Dimmock said. 鈥淣ow how many? Who knows. But we'll see.鈥�
Gaetz doesn't seemed worried.
鈥淚鈥檝e faced an unprecedented barrage of negative advertising funded by Kevin McCarthy," Gaetz said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be outspent more than three-to-one, but I鈥檓 going to win it better than two-to-one because the folks in Washington and California and Missouri don鈥檛 quite understand the connection I have with the people of northwest Florida,鈥� Gaetz said.
Much like Trump, the congressman's loyal followers don't care about the allegations made against him.
鈥淒immock is funded by McCarthy and it's just dirty politics. Gaetz is just talking about the issues,鈥� said Jill Torkelson, 61, sporting a Make America Great Again hat at his Pensacola campaign event. 鈥淭here's definitely a blood feud there. I just don't trust McCarthy as far as I can throw him."
Brendan Farrington, The Associated Press
