{"id":2232668,"date":"2024-04-29T12:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T16:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gaetz-gets-last-minute-florida-gop-primary-challenger-in-boost-to-mccarthy-allies\/"},"modified":"2024-04-29T12:56:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T16:56:02","slug":"gaetz-gets-last-minute-florida-gop-primary-challenger-in-boost-to-mccarthy-allies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gaetz-gets-last-minute-florida-gop-primary-challenger-in-boost-to-mccarthy-allies\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaetz gets last-minute Florida GOP primary challenger in boost to McCarthy allies"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgaetz-gets-last-minute-florida-gop-primary-challenger-in-boost-to-mccarthy-allies%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2232668&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Former California Rep. <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kevin-mccarthy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kevin McCarthy<\/a> has a chance for revenge against Rep. <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/matt-gaetz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Matt Gaetz<\/a> (R-FL) in the form of a GOP primary challenger in the <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2024 election<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Former naval officer and aviator Aaron Dimmock filed his paperwork on Friday, the deadline, to run against Gaetz, who led a coalition of seven other <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House GOP<\/a> members to join all Democrats in ousting McCarthy last fall. Dimmock is the director of leadership programs at the University of West Florida\u2019s Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis &#038; Overholtz\u00a0Center for Leadership.<\/p>\n<p>Dimmock\u2019s entry is a win for McCarthy and his allies, who have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2454921\/top-takeaways-from-kevin-mccarthys-farewell-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"long criticized\">long criticized<\/a> Gaetz for the former speaker\u2019s removal as being personally motivated. Gaetz had accused McCarthy of making a \u201cback deal\u201d with Democrats to pass a continuing resolution, but the former speaker alleged the reason was due to an ethics investigation into the Florida congressman.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy recently blamed the months of GOP infighting and a \u201cbroken\u201d conference on Gaetz.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they\u2019re in disarray, but it stems from those eight [Republicans] working with all\u00a0the Democrats,\u201d McCarthy said in a <em>MediaBuzz<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/kevin-mccarthy-matt-gaetz-broke-republican-majority\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"interview\">interview<\/a>. \u201cThe conference is broken because they never dealt with those eight, and until they do, it would stay broken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat Matt Gaetz did has broken the Republican majority. He\u2019s now created <em>Lord of the Flies.<\/em> Ask anybody inside our conference. They actually know it,\u201d the former speaker said.<\/p>\n<p>Dave Wasserman, an elections analyst for the <em>Cook Political Report,<\/em> noted Dimmock\u2019s entry was a boost for McCarthy allies, and he said the Gaetz primary will now be a \u201crace to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">New: just before the filing deadline, McCarthy allies land naval aviator Aaron Dimmock (R) to challenge <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FL01?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FL01<\/a> Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) in the 8\/20 primary. Will be a race to watch. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vvaXNaao0H\">https:\/\/t.co\/vvaXNaao0H<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Redistrict\/status\/1784951451485094116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear if McCarthy will help support or fund Dimmock\u2019s race. The naval officer will face an uphill battle to defeat Gaetz in the primary, who has a history of defeating his challengers thanks to his name recognition and fundraising coffers. In 2022, Gaetz defeated former FedEx executive Mark Lombardo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/515037\/scandal-plagued-matt-gaetz-fends-off-primary-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"more than 40 points\">more than 40 percentage points<\/a> despite accusations of being involved in sex trafficking.<\/p>\n<p>Gaetz is a close ally of former President Donald Trump and received his endorsement in 2022, which helped contribute greatly to winning the 1st Congressional District that Trump carried by 33 points in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>However, Gaetz has received severe backlash from his fellow Republicans for leading the ouster of McCarthy, as well as his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2924638\/gaetz-brushes-off-johnsons-warning-against-campaigning-against-fellow-house-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>campaigning against House incumbents<\/a> in favor of their more hard-line conservative primary challengers.<\/p>\n<p>His sexual misconduct allegations continue to be in play, as well. Although the Justice Department opened a federal investigation into allegations against Gaetz and he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/672445\/doj-decides-not-to-charge-matt-gaetz-in-sex-trafficking-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"was never charged\">was never charged<\/a>, the House Ethics Committee is reportedly continuing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2816948\/matt-gaetz-minor-sexual-relations-house-ethics-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"still investigating\">investigate<\/a> the matter as of earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As for McCarthy, who decided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2425827\/former-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-leaving-congress-at-end-of-year-leaving-the-house-but-not-the-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"not to run for reelection\">not to run for reelection<\/a> shortly after his ousting, the special election to determine his successor is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2928602\/vince-fong-special-election-kevin-mccarthy-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"heading to a runoff\">heading to a runoff<\/a> on May 21 between California\u00a0Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong and Republican Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. Whoever wins will fill McCarthy\u2019s seat for the remainder of the 118th Congress.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Gaetz for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former California Rep. Kevin McCarthy has a chance for revenge against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in the form of a GOP primary challenger in the 2024 election. Former naval officer and aviator Aaron Dimmock filed his paperwork on Friday, the deadline, to run against Gaetz, who led a coalition of seven other House GOP members<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2232670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/MixCollage-29-Apr-2024-11-24-AM-6553-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2232668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/MixCollage-29-Apr-2024-11-24-AM-6553-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2232668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2232668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2232668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2232670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2232668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2232668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2232668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}