Matt Gaetz’s GOP challenger — a Missouri state employee — seen as Kevin McCarthy surrogate

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Brendan Farrington | Associated Press

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Republican primary for Florida’s 1st Congressional District is like a rematch between Rep. Matt Gaetz and the man he toppled, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

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, former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock.

It might not be money well spent this election cycle — 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.

“Kevin 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,” Gaetz said recently after a campaign stop in Pensacola.

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The race has become particularly brutal, with McCarthy’s PAC running ads saying that “witnesses” say he had sex with a 17-year-old escort during a trip to the Bahamas with a donor and other supporters. “Our daughters are never safe with the real Matt Gaetz,” an announcer says as the ad closes.

Gaetz led a group of eight far-right members of Congress 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. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace also survived a primary against a McCarthy-backed opponent.

The House Ethics Committee has a long-running investigation into Gaetz’s behavior. The Department of Justice also looked into allegations about the Bahamas trip. No criminal charges have been filed and Gaetz steadfastly maintains his innocence.

McCarthy has said Gaetz led to effort to oust him because McCarthy refused to squash the ethics investigation.

“Matt Gaetz wanted to leverage me to stop an ethics complaint that started four years prior. Illegal. I’m not going to do it,” McCarthy recently said on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

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.

“My mom, my brother both live here. My aunt and uncle live here. Three of our four children were born here,” 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.

“I thought a person of character and integrity needed to enter the race. No local or state current office holder was willing to do that,” 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.

“They say, ‘Thank you so very much for running and giving us an alternative. He’s been an embarrassment so much that we absolutely need someone else in there. How can we help your campaign,” Dimmock said. “Now how many? Who knows. But we’ll see.”

Gaetz doesn’t seemed worried.

“I’ve faced an unprecedented barrage of negative advertising funded by Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz said. “I’ll be outspent more than three-to-one, but I’m going to win it better than two-to-one because the folks in Washington and California and Missouri don’t quite understand the connection I have with the people of northwest Florida,” Gaetz said.

Much like Trump, the congressman’s loyal followers don’t care about the allegations made against him.

“Dimmock is funded by McCarthy and it’s just dirty politics. Gaetz is just talking about the issues,” said Jill Torkelson, 61, sporting a Make America Great Again hat at his Pensacola campaign event. “There’s definitely a blood feud there. I just don’t trust McCarthy as far as I can throw him."

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