US Rep. Matt Gaetz ousts Kevin McCarthy-backed opponent in Florida GOP primary

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has defeated an opponent backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to win the Tuesday’s Republican primary in one of Florida’s most conservative congressional districts.

Gaetz defeated former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock, who was backed by a McCarthy-controlled political committee. Gaetz is considered a lock to beat Democrat Gay Valimont in a district that tends to support Republicans by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy last year, and McCarthy in turn used his political action committee to spend $3 million against Gaetz. The committee aired commercials alleging that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz maintains his innocence.

Barring an upset, Gaetz is set to win his fifth term in Congress, where he’s built a national reputation as a disruptor and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott has handily won Florida’s Republican primary against two other opponents, moving on to face Democratic former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in November.

Mucarsel-Powell also won her election comfortably against three other candidates. This November, Scott has to first win a second term in the U.S. senate before reaching his larger goal — winning Senate leadership, after retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell steps down.

Mucarsel-Powell — who ran a campaign for the past year focused on abortion rights, gun safety and Latin American policy — said in a statement that she’s grateful for her primary victory.

“This victory isn’t just mine — it belongs to so many people who have stepped up to say that we deserve better here in Florida,” Mucarsel-Powell said.

In the statement, the former Miami congresswoman said that the campaign since day one has focused on “protecting our freedoms,” whether that involves abortion rights, affordability, education or gun safety.

“Let me be clear — I am running to represent every single Floridian in this state,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “This goes beyond Republicans vs. Democrats — we’re all done with extremists who don’t have our backs, we all deserve better than Rick Scott, and in November, we will win.”

She will also be pinned on Vice President Kamala Harris inspiring Democrats to the polls as she faces former President Donald Trump.

Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian American and South American-born congressional member elected when she won in 2018, but she lost her reelection bid in 2020 to U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez.

The Senate seat was not the only one in Florida to watch, since some of the state’s congressional races include the most well-known far-right lawmakers.

One such example is U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who must defeat his primary challenger Aaron Dimmock. That race has been fueled by a barrage of campaign advertisements, with Gaetz accusing Dimmock of being a carpetbagger who moved from Missouri to the Florida Panhandle to promote diversity and inclusion. Meanwhile Dimmock has highlighted allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz.

U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Mike Waltz are also widely known conservative legislators. Donalds didn’t have any primary challengers, and Waltz defeated John Grow, a software engineer. Waltz has spoken at Trump’s campaign events, made Fox News appearances and appeared at the Republican National Convention last month.

U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, who is also closely aligned with Trump and has staunchly defended Gaetz in the past, defended his seat against former Florida Senate candidate and veteran Mike Johnson.

Each of these congressional members are far-right conservatives in Congress, known mostly for their alignment with Trump. They’ve led charges to defend the former president, stalled appropriations bills and budget deals, upended former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and fought for stricter regulations on abortion access and immigration.

Florida voters are deciding contested primaries in most of Florida’s 28 House districts.

Among the higher-profile House races was in District 13, in Pinellas County along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Whitney Fox, a former marketing and communications director at the county transit authority, easily bested four Democratic opponents to take on GOP freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, who faced no primary opposition.

The district leans Republican, but Fox expressed optimism she could prevail in November.

“Our shared hopes for affordable housing, reproductive freedom, and an economy that works for everyone unite us far more than any differences divide us,” Fox said in an email. “This campaign is about putting power back in the hands of working families. It’s about ensuring that whether you’re a teacher, a small business owner, or a retiree, your voice matters.”

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Dimmock’s last name. It is Dimmock, not Dimmick.