Republicans hope to grow their slim House majority while Democrats look to close the gap in the districts Trump carried by more than 30 points in November 2024.
Floridians in two deep-red districts hit the polls on April 1 to select replacements for two congressmen who traded their reelection for nominations to President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Those now-former Republican congressmen, Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz, vacated their seats to pursue the roles of attorney general and national security adviser, respectively.
That meant that they left the GOP holding a 218–215 lead in their lower chamber. However, that was before Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) passed away earlier this year.
Gaetz and Waltz both won reelection by more than 30 points, and Trump was quick to endorse replacements: Florida Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis in Gaetz’s district and state Sen. Randy Fine for Waltz’s district.
However, the opposition is putting up a multimillion-dollar fight, and the results of these contests could reshape the balance of Congress’s lower chamber if Democrats can manage an upset in what are conservative meccas in the increasingly Republican-majority Sunshine State.
Deep in Florida’s western panhandle, across Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, as well as portions of Walton County, voters will decide between Patronis and Democrat Gay Valimont to replace Gaetz in the state’s First District.
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Running along the state’s east coast from southern Jacksonville to the Daytona Beach area, Florida’s Sixth District has Fine facing off against Democrat Joshua Weil to replace Waltz.
Patronis won in a field with nine other candidates, while Fine was one of three.
Still, Democrats touted their significant fundraising hauls, which saw them outraise both Patronis and Fine, according to Federal Elections Commission reports filed on March 20 before a pre-election deadline.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) also recently announced an investment in both races, which includes funding more than 200 poll watchers and greeters to be deployed throughout the two districts on election day.
“This investment into the Florida congressional special elections is exactly the type of work we must do to build power on the ground and make clear to voters that there are no off years when the stakes for the American people are so high,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.
Democrats are hoping that a strong showing for their candidates will show that the electorate is reeling from Trump’s aggressive second term in office, while Republicans are eager to retain both seats for a larger House majority, which will be key to passing legislation advancing the president’s agenda.
Trump continued to push his confidence in his picks on March 31.
“As your next Congressman, Jimmy will fight hard alongside of me to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes, Secure our Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Brave Military/Vets, Restore American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote in a post on social media.
“Florida, Election Day is this Tuesday, April 1. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR JIMMY PATRONIS.”
Patronis responded: “Thank You Mr. President! Looking forward to Making America Great Again!”
Whether Democrats can repeat their success in Pennsylvania last week in the Sunshine State on April 1 will depend on who drives enthusiasm at the polls, which close at 7 p.m. for the Sixth Congressional District and 8 p.m. for the First Congressional District.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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