One of These People Will Serve As Northwest Florida’s Next Congressperson

In Brief:

•🧑‍💼 Who: 16 candidates, including Jimmy Patronis, Joel Rudman, and Gay Valimont

•📜 What: Special election for Florida’s 1st Congressional District seat

•📅 When: Republican primary on January 28; general election on April 1

•📍 Where: Florida’s 1st Congressional District

•❓ Why: To fill the vacancy left by Matt Gaetz’s departure from Congress

With the end of the qualifying period, we have a finalized list of who will run to replace Matt Gaetz in the 119th United States Congress this year.

16 candidates have filed paperwork with the Florida Secretary of State’s office to participate in the special election the governor called earlier this month. The overwhelming majority of the candidates will face off in the closed Republican primary election that will take place on January 28th. The special election will take place on April 1.

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Republicans

Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s current Chief Financial Officer, has a Trump endorsement, the backing of the local political establishment, and plenty of momentum. Although he currently lives in Panama City and would have to move to the District if he won election – he is the frontrunner for the seat. Patronis and his family own the nationally famous seafood restaurant Captain Anderson’s. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives with Matt Gaetz.

Joel Rudman likely has the most name recognition in the District, thanks to a high-profile stint in the Florida State House as the Navarre and District 3 representative. The practicing medical doctor has a penchant for dressing up as a member of rock and roll acts from the 1980s and hosting concerts in Tallahassee and throughout northwest Florida. He originally gained nationwide notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for his discussions about the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines that caused blowback and nationwide notoriety.
Aaron Dimmock served in the United States Navy before taking a consulting gig with the University of West Florida and other educational institutions. He was accused by Matt Gaetz during the 2024 primary of being a puppet of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy to enact revenge on Gaetz for ousting McCarthy as speaker. A Naval Academy graduate, he served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, where he says he held leadership roles at the Pentagon and Navy Recruitment. Post-military, he became a leadership consultant, working with major organizations like Ford and the NFL. Living in Pensacola with his wife and four children, Dimmock says he believes in conservative policies on border security, guns, economic reforms and abortion.
Gene Valentino is a former Escambia County Commissioner from Pensacola and one of five people from the nation’s oldest city who declared a run for Congress. In addition to his time on the county commission, Valentino’s website says he is a private pilot, divemaster, professor of entrepreneurship and Newsmax contributor.
Greg Merk is a retired military officer and pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s in Finance. Merk’s says on his website that he emphasizes conservative values, including reducing government spending, safeguarding individual freedoms, and promoting energy independence. He advocates for parental control in education and opposes what he describes as far-left agendas reshaping American society.
John Mills is a Second Amendment evangelist who uses a rifle round as the ‘i’ in his campaign logo. Mills has run for this congressional District several times against Gaetz. He served as a Navy Pilot and as the commanding officer of Whiting Field, near Milton. He’s also the chapter leader of the local John Birch Society.
Jeff Peacock works as a teacher at Navarre High School – but has had past stints as a GOP official in Alabama and owns several businesses. According to a release from the Peacock Campaign, he holds degrees from Pensacola Junior College, Florida State, the University of Chicago, and Harvard.
Michael Dylan Thompson, a Pensacola native, is a Yale-educated attorney and entrepreneur running for Congress in Florida’s 1st District. He graduated from the University of Alabama at 19 and Yale Law School at 23, where he served as Vice President of the Federalist Society. Thompson emphasizes conservative values and aims to support veterans, cut regulations for small businesses, and enhance local infrastructure. A First United Methodist Church member, he advocates for Republican representation for younger generations.
Kevin Gaffney teaches at Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville. He touts himself as a seasoned professional with extensive experience in federal government, education, and community service. His federal career includes roles with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, the DOJ Criminal Unit, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in Washington, D.C., and the Department of Veterans Affairs. His work spanned criminal investigations, FOIA compliance, management analysis, and administrative law. In academia, Kevin has served as an adjunct professor at Judson University in Illinois and Northwest Florida State College, teaching criminology, public sector budgeting, and American government. Currently, he teaches American government, economics, and history at Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville, Florida. Kevin holds a B.A. in political science from Stetson University and a Master’s in public administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology. A longtime resident of Hammock Bay in Freeport, Florida, Kevin and his wife Jane have five adult children and four grandchildren. They are active members of Destiny Worship Center in Freeport. A lifelong Republican, Kevin identifies as a Reagan conservative with a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and social values. He has been deeply involved in the GOP in both Illinois and Florida, contributing to campaigns and previously running for office.

Other Candidates

The other three candidates who will be on the general election ballot on April Fools’ Day 2025 are:

Gay Valimont, a Democrat who lost a general election bid against Matt Gaetz in November. Valimont says was inspired by personal tragedies, including losing her husband to ALS and her son to a brain tumor. Her campaign focuses on healthcare, veterans’ support, gun violence prevention, and creating unity in the District. Valimont’s efforts aim to bring integrity and progressive change to Washington.
Stan McDaniels, a non-party candidate from Pensacola, originally filed to run as a Libertarian.
Stephen Broden, a Texas resident who paid the almost $7,000 filing fee to get onto the ballot for the congressional race.
Paul Richard Dembensky, a Port Orange Resident (Atlantic Coast of Florida) resident.
Stanley Gray, A Milton resident.
Jonathon Garrett Green, a No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate.