Florida voters are awaiting results of two special elections for House seats Tuesday night, with the potential to sway Republicans’ slim majority in the House as the two Democrats running for the seats hold a fundraising advantage in their quest to replace former GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz.
The election was held Tuesday. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Seats for Florida’s first and sixth congressional districts are up for grabs, with Republican state Sen. Randy Fine battling Orlando school teacher and Democrat Josh Weil for Waltz’s vacated seat, while Democrat Gay Valimont faces off against Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, for Gaetz’s seat.
The Republicans have relied on the districts’ majority of Republican voters, as the first congressional district and sixth congressional districts are made up of 55% and 49% registered Republican voters, respectively, according to the Associated Press.
The Democrats headed into Tuesday’s race with a significant fundraising advantage over their Republican opponents, with Weil outraising fine by over $9 million between January and March while Valimont raised five times more than Patronis in that same window.
Republicans’ election day turnout in Florida’s sixth district was 37 points higher than Democrats’, while Republican turnout in the first district was 44 points ahead of Democratic turnout, according to The New York Times.
A win for the Republicans would increase Republican House seats to 220 and leave Democrats with 213 seats, boosting Republicans’ minor majority in the chamber.
Florida polls closed at 7 p.m. local time — the state has two time zones — and preliminary results are expected at 8 p.m EDT.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Surveys showed a surprisingly tight race between Weil and Fine, with a survey from Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio showing Weil beating Fine by three points, according to Politico. A St. Pete Polls for Florida Politics survey found Fine winning instead, though just by four points.
There is also a special election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that will be decided Tuesday. Democrat-backed Circuit Judge Susan Crawford is taking on Republican-backed Circuit Judge Brad Schimel to determine which party will control the battleground state’s Supreme Court. Tech billionaire and senior Trump adviser Elon Musk’s America PAC has spent over $12 million backing Schimel, also holding a rally in Wisconsin, where he offered cash incentives to voters that included two $1 million awards. Surveys have indicated a relatively close race between Schimel and Crawford.
Gaetz was Trump’s pick for attorney general in November, leading to Gaetz’s resignation from the House. However, his nomination for the new role was derailed by a House ethics investigation that uncovered details of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations. Gaetz later announced he would not rejoin the House, leaving his vacant seat open. Waltz vacated his seat as he took on his new role as Trump’s national security advisor. Waltz recently found himself in hot water after he mistakenly added The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat where top White House officials including Vice President JD Vance discussed war plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Tuesday’s race has been viewed as a test of voter sentiment on Trump’s second term, which will reach its first 100 days this month. Weil and Valimont have campaigned on criticizing Musk’s sweeping and controversial push to cut government spending and its workforce. Additionally, despite fighting for a seat in Republican-leaning districts, Weil and Valimont have managed to out-fundraise Fine and Patronis. The fundraising advantage caught the attention of Trump, who recently commented on the disparity between Weil and Fine, telling reporters “you never know what happens in a case like that.”
Florida’s Special House Elections Today: What To Watch In These Tests Of Trump’s Second Term (Forbes)