Republicans win special elections for two key House seats in Florida
Randy Fine beats Josh Weil in Mike Waltz’s former district, and Jimmy Patronis wins seat vacated by Matt GaetzChris Stein in Washington and Ashley Spencer in Daytona Beach
Wed 2 Apr 2025 00.09 EDT
Republicans on Tuesday won special elections for two US House of Representatives seats in Florida vacated by Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, dashing Democratic hopes for an upset victory in the first federal special elections held since the president began his second term.
But Democratic candidates Josh Weil and Gay Valimont are on track to lose the solidly red districts by much smaller margins than the more than 30 points that Democrats lost them by in November.
Weil put up a stiff challenge in the eastern coastal district formerly represented by Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, rattling Republicans in a state they have dominated over the past decade and leaving Democrats with a glimmer of hope. Weil, a Democratic public school teacher, had outraised Fine, a state senator, and a poll had shown them running practically neck-and-neck days before the election.

Republicans win special elections for two key House seats in Florida
Randy Fine beats Josh Weil in Mike Waltz’s former district, and Jimmy Patronis wins seat vacated by Matt Gaetz