U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who angered many of his Republican House colleagues with his challenges that led to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster, has drawn a former U.S. Navy pilot as an opponent in August's GOP primary.
Former Capt. Aaron Dimmock, who now is a business consultant, filed paperwork last week to challenge Gaetz in the heavily Republican district that encompasses the western Florida Panhandle. It is home to Pensacola Naval Air Station and more than 93,000 veterans live in the area.
Dimmock's campaign treasurer previously worked for American Patriots PAC, the committee McCarthy used to support his preferred candidates in the 2022 election. Dimmock's campaign does not have a website, it has not issued a statement and did not respond to emails Tuesday seeking comment. Public records show he recently lived in Missouri.
According to Dimmock's LinkedIn page, he teaches business executives how to lead with candor, which he describes as “the ability to give feedback in a way that shows people you care about them personally and are willing to challenge them directly.”
Gaetz, in a posting to the social media platform X, said, “I knew former Representative McCarthy would be getting a puppet of his to run.” He then called Dimmock “a Woke Toby Flenderson,” referencing the hapless and often bullied human resources director on the TV show “The Office.”…
