Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz easily won his primary on Tuesday, moving on to the 1st district's general election in November.
The firebrand lawmaker cruised through the primary, beating challenger Aaron Dimmock with over 70% of the vote even though a Gaetz national foe, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, spearheaded an effort to oust him.
"Sign me up for the next Revenge Tour," Gaetz said on X, in an apparent reference to the over $5 millions spent by PACs related to McCarthy in Dimmock's campaign, a figure that turned the race into one of the most expensive ones for the GOP in the country.
He was more direct in an interview with CBS News, saying "Kevin McCarthy was motivated by revenge and pettiness and I think some very destructive soul searching." "I'm on my way to the 119th Congress, and he's on his way to whatever the next stage of grief is."
Sign me up for the next Revenge Tour pic.twitter.com/xnejrmEKQI
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) August 21, 2024
But before reaching the next Congress, Gaetz will have to go through the district's general elections first, having to face challenger Gay Valimont. A self-described gun violence prevention activist, she is the "only Democrat running to unseat Matt Gaetz."
Valimont faces an uphill battle, considering he easily beat contender Rebekah Jones in the 2022 elections, getting over two thirds of the votes back then. In her website, she says she is committed to "addressing the critical issues that affect our community and nation."
They include healthcare access, military and veterans, education, affordable housing and gun violence prevention. In the former, she highlights that "every person should have access to the care they need without wondering if they can afford to save their own life or the life of a loved one. Universal, affordable, quality health care must be a priority," the website says. It includes "expanding Medicaid, protecting Medicare, defending the Affordable Care Act and reducing prescription costs."
Regarding military & veteran affairs, Valimont said she will "fight for Comprehensive mental health care for past, current, and future veterans, legislation that guarantees veterans have easily accessible and cost-effective healthcare choices" and promote "initiatives that facilitate veterans' transition to civilian careers and bring improvements to the G.I Bill."
As for gun violence, she highlighted the need for "Universal Background Checks on ALL gun sales to close existing loopholes and ensure every sale includes a thorough background check; Strengthening and expanding Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), commonly known as Red Flag Laws, to empower concerned family members and law enforcement; and Making sure provisions from President Biden's Safer Communities Act are enforced. Including closing the dangerous "boyfriend loophole" that allows individuals convicted of abusing their dating partners to legally retain registered firearms." Valimont and Gaetz will face off on November 5.
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