By Mitch Perry Phoenix, Florida
Aaron Dimock, the underdog Republican challenging Matt Gaetz in next month’s 1st District Republican primary in the Florida Panhandle, is running what can only be described as an unusual campaign.
Dimock, a retired Navy officer, is president of the Missouri Leadership Academy in St. Louis, about 700 miles from Pensacola, the congressional district’s center. Missouri law was changed in 2020 to make his position legal, according to a Missouri Department of Administration official.
“I ran because no one else was running,” Dimock told The Phoenix in a phone interview earlier this week. “It’s not an easy thing to do as a first-time candidate facing someone who’s been in politics for 15 years. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t let go. So I was keeping an eye on him. [on the race] I participated through April, but then I realized that no one else was participating at the state or local level, so I felt compelled to get involved.”
Dimock filed to run against Gaetz for the Florida House of Representatives on April 26, the last day to qualify to run for federal office in the state. He listed his Pensacola address on his filing but used his Missouri driver’s license as identification. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 20.
He said since joining the campaign he has returned to Missouri “when it makes sense” and that “from time to time” he is able to work a full-time schedule remotely.
“That’s the way I’ve done it and that’s the way I’m going to continue to do it,” he said, “and we look forward to the primary and we’ll be able to continue to split up our schedule as necessary so that we can do what we need to do to fulfill our obligations there.”
State Records Dimock is campaigning in the district as much as he can but remains on the special assistant’s payroll as a full-time employee. He was last paid $486.46 on July 15 and has earned $57,023.98 so far in 2024.
his LinkedIn PageDimock began working as director of the Missouri Leadership Academy in January 2021 and still lists the academy as his employer. The webpage for SHRM of Greater St. Louis, an organization for human resources professionals, shows he was scheduled to speak there. Last month’s events.
The Phoenix reached out to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s office to ask if he supports state employees running for seats in other states. Parson did not respond to a request for comment this week, but said: KMOV TV “I want to make sure my employees can do their jobs. I’m not a big fan of remote work, I never was,” he said last week.
“I don’t see him campaigning very actively other than running very expensive ads slamming his opponents,” said John Roberts, Escambia County Republican Party executive chairman. “He’s totally unknown in the district.”
McCarthy’s Revenge
Dimock’s campaign appears to be based on expensive attack ads against Gaetz, funded primarily by the Florida Patriots PAC. A senior adviser to the PAC said: Brian O. WalshAide to former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Gaetz have an adversarial relationship. Mr. Gaetz was one of the eight House Republicans who voted to remove Mr. McCarthy from his position as speaker a year ago, and Mr. McCarthy has not hesitated to say he will do everything in his power to oust those eight Republicans from their posts this year.
Their animosity was on full display last week at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Faced McCarthy at the Fiserv Forum.
a vote A poll released last week showed Gaetz leading Dimock 67% to 20%.
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