The 2024 election season is heating up, and one race that has caught the attention of political pundits is the Republican primary in Florida’s 1st Congressional District.
A former naval officer and aviator, Aaron Dimmock surprised everyone by entering the race and filing his paperwork just before the Friday deadline.
The lone Republican against Gaetz in the state’s August 20 primary shares a treasurer with the McCarthy-aligned American Patriots PAC, raising eyebrows across the political landscape.
His entry into the race is seen as a win for McCarthy and his allies, who have been critical of Gaetz’s role in McCarthy’s removal as Speaker of the House.
Read: Report Shows Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Revolt Against McCarthy Was Business, Not Personal
According to LinkedIn, Dimmock currently serves as the Director of Missouri Leadership for the State of Missouri; however, it’s reported that he is also the director of leadership programs at the University of West Florida’s Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Center for Leadership.
Gaetz blasted the newcomer Dimmock, who previously wrote pro-BLM and pro-DEI posts while working as a director at Chapman & Co., a workplace training company.
Dimmock reposted on LinkedIn a Chapman & Co. post that read, “#blacklivesmatter,” “We commit to auditing every business process to ensure they reflect a culture of inclusion,” and “serve non-profits advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
In a 2020 post, Dimmock said, “We remain committed to making it better #leadership #inclusion,” in reference to a post about Black Lives Matter.
In a statement to the Tampa Free Press, Rep. Gaetz called Dimmock a “Missouri-based DEI instructor.”
“I’m excited to welcome Missouri-based DEI instructor Aaron Dimmock to the campaign. Aaron is not in Kansas City anymore. This is Trump Country. Our pronouns are USA and MAGA. I’m a proud Trump Republican. I stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to defeat Joe Biden, secure our border, restore our economy, and support our veterans. I’ll never stop fighting for President Trump or for the people of the First Congressional District,” said Gaetz.
Read: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Worries NY Democrat-Heavy Jury Will Convict Trump Regardless Of Evidence
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna blasted Dimmock on X, saying, “Want to know what’s wrong with the military? It’s woke leadership from people like @aaronwdimmock who are more focused on DEI than mission readiness and have destroyed our country by promoting racial division instead of unity. Now he wants to come to Congress? No. I look forward to campaigning for @mattgaetz in FL-1. Btw there is a reason why Gaetz is respected by the STS and SF community.”
Gaetz, 41, has been in the House since 2017, representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the state’s western Panhandle. Gaetz holds an 84% approval Republican Liberty Score with the Conservative Review.
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