Aaron Dimmock, a leadership consultant and retired U.S. Navy commander, is one of 10 Republicans running in the special election to succeed former Rep. Matt Gaetz in Congress.
Dimmock’s journey to public service follows a 20-year military career. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he served as a naval aviator and later worked at the Pentagon, before mounting an unsuccessful primary challenge to Gaetz last year. In an interview this week, Dimmock highlighted his military service as critical to shaping his leadership style and differentiating his campaign in a crowded primary.
“It’s been 30 years since this seat has had a military veteran,” Dimmock pointed out.
While other veterans are in the race, Dimmock said his high-level experience, including advising on leadership development at the Pentagon, sets him apart.
"I'm a difference maker," he said.
As he campaigns in a district home to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Eglin Air Force Base, and Hurlburt Field, Dimmock is making veterans’ issues a priority, including advocating for the construction of a new Veterans Affairs facility in the district.
“We have such a presence of military veterans that require service,” he said. “... (It’s time) to have a bigger, broader facility here that can service our veterans locally so they don’t have to travel as much.”
Another issue Dimmock has prioritized is Florida’s ongoing property insurance crisis. Homeowners are facing rising premiums and shrinking options for coverage, and Dimmock has taken aim at his opponent Jimmy Patronis, who has been endorsed by Pres. Elect Donald Trump, for failing to do more to stem the crisis in his role as the state's chief financial officer.
"He sat in the seat that signed off on the insurance price hikes," Dimmock said, "... What are the factors that came into play for him ... (to be) supportive of the insurance companies and not necessarily looking out for us, our constituents."
Patronis does not directly sign-off on property insurance rate increases. That is the job of the state's Office of Insurance Regulation. However, he does play a pivotal role in overseeing the industry, and he has attracted criticism in the past for politicizing the insurance crisis, supporting laws that make it harder for policyholders to sue their insurers and receiving nearly $2 million in financial support from the insurance industry.
Dimmock said he would push for greater transparency and collaboration between federal and state leaders to reform the property insurance market, if he were elected.
On immigration, Dimmock’s stance reflects both his military background and his Catholic faith.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, the newly appointed Archbishop of Washington D.C., has criticized some of Trump's stances on immigration as inconsistent with Catholic teachings. In response, Dimmock said he thought it was possible to carry out the President-Elect's vision, while still respecting Catholic admonishments to treat immigrants with dignity and compassion.
"You can still execute the President-elect's plan ... in a compassionate way and ... be thoughtful about it," he said. "... I think it's broadening the conversation to be able to see what are the viable paths for citizenship for the folks that have been behaving in ways that are right in line with American principles and values, and deporting the folks that have exhibited criminal behavior."
Dimmock said his own experiences at the border, where he led missions against drug and human trafficking, informed his call for stronger enforcement.
"I see the care component actually being that we are caring for Americans by executing a viable plan with immigration policy to be able to ensure our own security and safety," he said.
On the economy, Dimmock weighed in on debates within the Republican Party about the H1-B visa program, which allows skilled foreign workers to work in the U.S. While he supports reforms to encourage skilled workers to remain and contribute domestically, he stressed the importance of prioritizing local labor, pointing to recent, local controversy over the hiring practices at ST Engineering to highlight the need for a thoughtful approach to economic development.
"(We need) to get a better assessment for the talent that is actually resident in our district," he said, "and then marry that up ... with the potential business organization opportunities and solicit those folks."
Throughout his campaign, Dimmock has emphasized his commitment to ethical leadership, drawing on his experience at the Pentagon, where he worked to address ethical lapses among military leaders. He said he would relish the opportunity to serve on the House Ethics Committee, if elected.
“If you behave in ways that compromise your ability to [represent constituents], that hurts the district," he said. "It hurts the country.”
The Republican primary is scheduled for Jan. 28, followed by the general election on April 1. The Democratic primary was cancelled after only one candidate, Gay Valimont, qualified to run. WUWF has requested interviews with each of the candidates in the special election and will continue to provide coverage as the race develops.
