Gay Valimont
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Gay Valimont | |
|---|---|
 Gay Valimont | |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Georgia Southern University |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Brian Valimont |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | Campaign website |
Gay Valimont is an American politician who is running as the Democratic candidate in the 2025 special election for Florida's 1st congressional district, which will take place on April 1. She previously ran against Matt Gaetz for the seat in 2024 but lost. Located in Florida's western Panhandle, the district is centered around Pensacola and includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, as well as portions of Walton County.
Early life and education
[edit]Valimont was born and raised in Thomaston, Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science from Georgia Southern University, followed by a master's degree in education from Troy State University.[1]
Career
[edit]Valimont began her career in sports medicine in Atlanta, working with high school athletes and the Atlanta Falcons.[1] After moving with her husband and child to Gulf Breeze, Florida, she stayed home to take care of the family. Following the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012, she became actively involved in gun violence prevention.[2] She volunteered with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.[3] In 2016, she became the state leader of the organization,[1] which pushed in the Florida Capitol for stronger gun laws.[4][5]
U.S. House of Representatives campaigns
[edit]2024
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Valimont was the Democratic candidate for Florida's 1st congressional district in the 2024 U.S. House of Representatives election. On November 5, 2024, she lost to incumbent Matt Gaetz, who won re-election with 66% of the vote.[6]
2025
[edit]On November 13, 2024, then president-elect Donald Trump nominated Matt Gaetz for attorney general,[7] causing him to resign, and triggering a special election.[8]
On November 15, 2024, Valimont announced that she was going to run in the special election on April 1, 2025.[9] The Democratic primary for this office on January 28, 2025, was canceled because Valimont was the only candidate.[10]
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), she raised 6.5 million dollars and outraised her opponent, Jimmy Patronis,[11] ahead of the election.[12][13] She is one of two Democrats running for Congress in the April 1 special general elections:[14] the other candidate for a separate congressional district is Josh Weil. According to a report by NBC News, the two candidates have raised a combined $15.7 million as of March 21, 2025, and 75% of donations were in the range of $200 or less.[15]
Political positions
[edit]Veterans' affairs
[edit]Valimont has supported expanding the VA healthcare system in her district and argued that funding levels do not reflect the area's large veteran population.[4] Noting that the district has the third-largest veteran population in the country, she called for increased resources and improved services for former service members in her district.[13] She also criticized the 2025 budget cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs and asserted that they led to staffing shortages and reduced access to care.[1]
Healthcare
[edit]Valimont has prioritized making healthcare more accessible and affordable. She supports expanding Medicaid, preserving Medicare from federal budget cuts, and lowering prescription drug costs. She has argued that people should not have to risk financial hardship to receive necessary medical care.[9][16]
Property insurance
[edit]Valimont has pushed for lower property insurance rates and argued that rising costs have drastically burdened homeowners. She blamed Florida chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis, her opponent in the 2025 special election, for his policies that allowed rates to climb while weakening protections for homeowners.[1][17]
Personal life
[edit]Valimont lives in Gulf Breeze, Florida.[1] She was previously married to Brian Valimont, an engineer, who died from ALS in 2022.[18] Their son died half a year earlier from a brain tumor.[1][19]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Little, Jim (March 25, 2025). "Who is Gay Valimont? Democrat seeks to shock political world in April 1 special election". Pensacola News Journal.
- ^ Driehaus, Alex (May 21, 2021). "Family shares lessons through ALS, tumor diagnoses". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
- ^ Robinson, Kevin (November 8, 2017). "Gulf Breeze woman heads to Tallahassee to push for gun violence prevention". Pensacola New Journal. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Strickland, T.S. (March 27, 2025). "Valimont and Patronis face off in special election". WUWF 88.1 Radio.
- ^ Swisher, Skyler (February 17, 2023). "Lawmaker meetings, other public spaces stay gun-free under permitless carry bill". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Florida election results 2024". CNN. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Hannah; Lybrand, Holmes; Grayer, Annie; Perez, Evan; Polantz, Katelyn (November 13, 2024). "Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general". CNN. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ Beavers, Olivia; Carney, Jordain (November 13, 2024). "Gaetz resigns from Congress — possibly skirting long-awaited Ethics report". Politico. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "Democrat Gay Valimont announces campaign for Florida's 1st Congressional District special election". WUWF. November 18, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ Florida Department of State Campaign Documentation (Miscellaneous).
- ^ "2026 Election United States House - Florida - District 01". FEC.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ "VALIMONT, JENNIFER GAY - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. January 1, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ a b Bestor, Collin. "Brimming with optimism, Democrat Gay Valimont tries again to flip the conservative 1st District". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ "AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida's special congressional primaries". AP News. January 24, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ "Democrats raise millions for Florida special elections in Trump territory". NBC News. March 21, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ "Everything we know about Matt Gaetz's next challenger after winning his Florida primary". Latin Times. August 21, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ^ Little, Jim. "Valimont draws attention and donations, but Patronis still has advantage in April 1 election". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ^ "Robert "Brian" Valimont". Bucks County Herald. June 2, 2022.
- ^ Driehaus, Alex. "North Naples family navigates life with ALS, brain tumor diagnoses". Naples Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Gay Valimont for Congress campaign website
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