REPORT: McCarthy-Gaetz feud reaches apex in Florida primary

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From The Hill: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) faces a primary challenge Tuesday as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his allies seek revenge against the Republicans who ousted him nearly a year ago.

That revenge tour will reach its apex with the multimillion-dollar effort to defeat Gaetz, a conservative rabble-rouser who spearheaded the effort to take McCarthy’s gavel, is the last of the Republicans who voted to oust the former Speaker to face a primary this year — and whom McCarthy clearly loathes.

The two clashed in-person at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, with Gaetz taunting McCarthy for not having a speaking slot at the convention. McCarthy ignored Gaetz, but in later comments turned attention to the ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz that includes a probe into allegations the Florida Republican had a sexual relationship with an 17-year-old girl, which the lawmaker has vigorously denied.

Those allegations and frustration about Gaetz’s move to oust McCarthy have been central in the effort to unseat Gaetz in the deep-red Florida panhandle district he has represented since 2017.

Running against Gaetz in Florida’s Republican primary is Aaron Dimmock, a retired U.S. Navy officer and leadership consultant, who is also a pro-Trump conservative.  The report notes that Dimmock launched his congressional race just before the filing deadline, and has a very slim chance of winning against Gaetz.

As of July 31, Dimmock had raised $336,675, compared to nearly $5.7 million raised by Gaetz, the report explains.

However, Dimmock is getting some help from a PAC linked to McCarthy.  Dimmock says he has never spoken with McCarthy, but the report explains: a newly formed super PAC with connections to McCarthy allies that has spent more $3 million in the race so far — including on brutal ads that highlight the misconduct allegations against Gaetz.

The ads don’t appear to have helped:

A July 8-10 poll conducted by GOP firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates showed Gaetz with a hefty lead over Dimmock, 67 percent to 20 percent, according to a poll memo shared with The Hill.

“It’s time to elect someone with a lifelong career of service to country — not someone who only serves himself,” Dimmock wrote in a recent social media post.

Meanwhile, Gaetz is mocking the McCarthy group for spending $3 million to try to defeat him.

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