Democrats drew eye-popping fundraising numbers and national attention to two special elections in Florida, but it wasn’t enough to overcome massive Republican majorities in the bright red House seats, according to election tallies from the state’s 6th District and turnout numbers so far in its 1st District, where polls closed an hour later.
In Florida’s 6th Congressional District, Republican state Sen. Randy Fine will fill the seat vacated by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, according to the Associated Press, which called the race 30 minutes after the polls closed. Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial office, will replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz in the 1st District.
Democrats are clinging to one small victory: Fine didn’t win by as big a margin as his predecessor did in November. Fine got 56.5% after most votes were counted, down from Waltz’s 66.5% last November — though it’s a tough comparison to make because turnout during a presidential election year is typically much higher than in special elections. “Tonight’s special election in Florida is only the latest evidence showing that Trump, Musk and Republicans across the country are in big trouble, even in deep-red districts,” the Democratic National Committee said in a statement Tuesday night.