- Dimmock is a retired Navy officer and aviator, and it appears that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recruited him to take on Gaetz. According to the New York Times, Dimmock’s campaign committee shares a treasurer with American Patriots PAC, a group that was used by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to support candidates who were aligned with him in the 2022 midterms.
Gaetz led the effort that ultimately ousted McCarthy from the speakership.
Who is Dimmock? A graduate of the United States Naval Academy that served as a pilot for the P-3 surveillance plane for the Navy. He deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo and had completed several tours in the Middle East. He flew surveillance missions over New York City in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.
He became an instructor pilot, later worked as a recruiting officer and closed out his career as a Navy liaison in the Pentagon.
Gaetz Responds: Gaetz mocks and attacks Dimmock: Matt Gaetz didn’t waste time going after his opponent and feeding media sources dirt on Dimmock.
The congressman called out Dimmock’s LinkedIn posts that he said showed his support for racial diversity and the Black Lives Matter movement
Gaetz posted on X: “Meet Aaron W. Dimmock. The B.L.M. supporting D.E.I. instructor running against me in the Republican Primary. I knew former Representative McCarthy would be getting a puppet of his to run. I didn’t know it would be a Woke Toby Flenderson!”
Media coverage:
“Matt Gaetz Primary challenger Aaron Dimmock tied to Kevin McCarthy” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
Matt Gaetz gets Primary challenge from McCarthy-aligned BLM supporter” via Henry Rogers of the Daily Caller