ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republican state Sen.
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FILE - Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, answers a question about his House Bill 3-C: Independent Special Districts in the House of Representatives April 20, 2022, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Randy Fine won a special election Tuesday to represent Florida's 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil and squashing efforts by national Democrats who spent millions of dollars on the race.
Fine was on track for a much narrower victory than the 33-point margin by which Mike Waltz won the district in November, according to early returns.
The narrowing margins may signal a shift in public sentiment, driven by unusually strong Democratic enthusiasm in a traditionally Republican stronghold. It’s happening less than five months since the presidential election and following a strong fundraising surge among Democrats worried about the aggressive overhaul of government initiated by President Donald Trump in his first few months in office.
Fine had faced growing pressure during the race’s final days as some Republicans publicly criticized his campaign and fundraising efforts. His victory ends Democratic hopes to score a huge upset in a district that was heavily supportive of Trump in November.
Because of the difference in time zones, polls remained open in the other congressional district with a special election Tuesday, where Florida's chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, is hoping to win a seat for Republicans. Republican wins in both districts would give the GOP a 220 to 213 advantage over Democrats in the U.S. House.
Patronis is looking to replace Matt Gaetz, who was tapped to be attorney general before he withdrew. He is facing a challenge from Gay Valimont, a gun control activist who raised about $6.5 million, according to fundraising reports, versus Patronis’ $2.1 million.
The race to fill the seat vacated by Waltz when he was tapped to become Trump’s national security adviser received national attention. Democrats poured money into Weil’s campaign to outraise Fine by nearly tenfold, attempting to flip a seat where the president won by more than 30 points.
Fine, a self-described “conservative firebrand,” ran with Trump’s endorsement.
On social media, Trump congratulated Fine for “a great WIN against a massive CASH AVALANCHE.”
National Republican operatives worried in the weeks leading up to the election that Fine needed more money to combat Weil’s eye-popping $9 million compared to Fine’s $1 million, which drew national attention from political operatives questioning whether this race would embarrass Republicans less than 100 days into Trump’s administration.
Yet that wasn’t the case for Democrats. For weeks, national leaders have attributed Weil’s fundraising success to what they characterized as widespread outrage about the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal government. That outrage failed to materialize in large enough numbers to overturn the outcome in the reliably Republican district, foiling Democrats’ hope to pull off a huge upset that would have buoyed their party.
Fine was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and ran each year as a representative until 2024 when he successfully won his election to the Florida Senate. He is known for his support of Israel and his efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights.
Stephany Matat, Kate Payne And Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press