TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Rep. Matt Gaetz crushed his Republican opponent in the primary on Tuesday, a major loss for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s vengeance against those in the GOP who ousted him from leadership last October.
Gaetz, who remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, has been slammed in super PAC ads that focused on allegations of illegal drug use and that he paid to have sex with a 17-year-old girl, allegations Gaetz has denied. The Justice Department, which investigated the allegations, declined to bring charges.
But Gaetz, a staunch and outspoken ally of former President Donald Trump, still easily defeated Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock and is now on track to win a fifth term representing northwest Florida. Gaetz will face Democrat Gay Valimont in November, but the district is heavily Republican.
In the final days before the primary, Gaetz campaigned with a long line of conservative Republicans in his district, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). Gaetz and his allies urged local Republicans to turn out in large numbers to “send a message” to McCarthy and other D.C. Republicans.
McCarthy supported Dimmock, and the super PAC that went after Gaetz had ties to people in McCarthy’s inner circle.
Even on the day of the primary, the Gaetz campaign sent out a fundraising email that read: “I want to make a STATEMENT. I want to win with a NATIONAL VICTORY VICTORY to prove to Kevin McCarthy that no matter how much money he puts into beating me, it will NEVER be worth it.”
Gaetz is the son of a former Senate president who started out as a legislator before moving to Congress in 2016. During his time in office, his theatrics and brazen rabble-rousers drew widespread attention. He is seen as a potential GOP candidate for governor in 2026, when Gov. Ron DeSantis will be forced to step down due to term limits.
