By Canadian Press

Matt Gaetz and Rick Scott face challengers in Florida primaries

Aug 20, 2024 | 5:39 PM

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott has his sights on a GOP leadership role, but first he must get past two candidates in the state’s Republican primary on Tuesday.

Scott, who won his Senate spot by a margin of about 10,000 votes in 2018, is aiming to run for Senate Republican leader to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

If Scott wins the primary, he would face a Democratic opponent in November.

The Democratic frontrunner is former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who got President Joe Biden’s endorsement in April and has campaigned for the past year against Scott.

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

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One such example is U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who must defeat his primary challenger Aaron Dimmick. That race has been fueled by a barrage of campaign advertisements, with Gaetz accusing Dimmick of being a carpetbagger who moved from Missouri to the Florida Panhandle to promote diversity and inclusion. Meanwhile Dimmick 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 had spoken at former President Donald 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.”

Stephany Matat, The Associated Press