Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-F.L., secured a decisive victory in Tuesday’s Republican primary, early defeating Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock — and dealing a fatal blow to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s efforts to unseat those who orchestrated his removal from leadership last October.
Gaetz, a vocal ally of former President Donald Trump, easily won despite a barrage of negative advertising funded by super PACs aligned with McCarthy.
The Freedom Patriots PAC, widely seen as connected to McCarthy, spent approximately $3 million on ads attacking Gaetz during the primary campaign.
These advertisements focused on allegations of sexual misconduct and Gaetz’s past association with Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector now serving an 11-year sentence for various crimes. Gaetz has consistently denied these allegations, pointing to the Department of Justice’s decision not to press charges as vindication.
In the final days of the campaign, Gaetz rallied with conservative figures including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Reps. Chip Roy, R-T.X., and Lauren Boebert, R-C.O.
His campaign urged supporters to “send a message” to McCarthy and other establishment Republicans.
“I want to make a STATEMENT. I want to win in a LANDSLIDE VICTORY to prove to Kevin McCarthy that no matter how much money he sinks into defeating me, it will NEVER be worth it,” the Gaetz said in a a fundraising email on primary day.
It worked; Gaetz won by over 45 points, a blowout victory that marks the end of McCarthy’s largely unsuccessful “revenge tour” against the eight Republicans who led the effort to remove him from the speakership.
Of this group, only Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-V.A., has lost his primary, while two others opted not to seek reelection.
The Florida congressman is now poised to win his fifth term representing his heavily Republican northwest Florida district in November.
As the dust settles on this primary battle, Gaetz’s victory is just the latest victory for the MAGA wing of the Republican Party — and is proof of the enduring power Trump-aligned leadership.