On Tuesday, President Donald Trump celebrated after Republicans achieved significant wins in two closely monitored special elections in Florida.
The Context
Florida state senator Randy Fine secured a decisive victory in the 6th Congressional District, while Florida chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis emerged victorious in the race for the 1st Congressional District.
As of 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Fine garnered 56.7 percent of the votes in his district, outperforming Democratic challenger Josh Weil, who received 42.7 percent, with over 95 percent of the votes counted.
Meanwhile, Patronis clinched the 1st Congressional District with 57 percent of the votes, while his Democratic opponent, Gay Valimont, managed 42.2 percent.
Fine is set to replace former Republican Representative Mike Waltz, who stepped down to become Trump’s national security adviser, while Patronis will take over the seat left vacant by former GOP Representative Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz resigned after being nominated by Trump to serve as attorney general, but he later withdrew amid heightened scrutiny of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
What To Know
Trump praised the successes of Patronis and Fine on Tuesday night, stating on Truth Social: “BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE. THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS’ FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!”
These victories were particularly crucial for Republicans as they work to solidify their control of the House, although the party would still retain a majority even if Fine and Patronis had lost.
Fine’s competition against Weil, a public school educator, was viewed as more contentious than the special election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, even though both districts have historically leaned Republican.
The GOP expressed heightened concern regarding the special election in the 6th Congressional District since Weil significantly out-fundraised Fine, and Fine was slower to begin airing his TV ads compared to his Democratic opponent.
Conversely, Democrats pointed out on Tuesday that despite their defeats in both special elections, Fine and Patronis performed considerably worse than Trump in their respective districts.
What People Are Saying
Fine attributed his success to Trump on Tuesday, stating on X: “Because of you, Mr. President. I won’t let you down.”
Weil, in his concession statement, remarked: “The numbers didn’t add up in our favor today. However, we shouldn’t feel disheartened; this race was closer than anyone anticipated. In a district previously won by Mike Walz [sic] by 32 points, we significantly narrowed that gap in a historic way. An incredible gain.”
Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson for the Republican Party’s House campaign arm, told The New York Times of Fine: “No one is better positioned to take up the mantle for Florida families, small business owners, and workers.”
Of Patronis, O’Toole added: He will be “a strong voice for Floridians within our Republican majority in Congress.”
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
