The Republican Party swept two competitive Florida special elections on Tuesday despite Democrats massively outraising their GOP counterparts in both races.
Congressional Republicans widened their margins by securing two of Florida’s House seats on Tuesday, with Republican Randy Fine defeating Democratic candidate Josh Weil in his bid for the state’s 6th Congressional District, while Republican Jimmy Patronis won the House seat in the state’s 1st Congressional District, beating Democratic candidate Gay Valimont. Notably, the Republican Party’s victories in the two Florida races come after the Democratic Party suffered a brutal defeat in the 2024 presidential election, despite former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign massively outraising President Donald Trump’s campaign.
Weil significantly outraised Fine in his congressional campaign, raising over $9 million, compared to the just under $1 million raised by Fine. Meanwhile, Valimont raised roughly $6.5 million in the race, while Patronis only raised $2.1 million.
“National Democrats lit over $20,000,000 of donors’ money on fire only to lose two races by double digits,” Maureen O’Toole, a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Case in point: Support for Republicans and President Trump is stronger than ever, and any other narrative desperate Democrats try to push is just noise.”
Patronis won Florida’s 1st Congressional District by 56.9% of the vote to Valimont’s 42.3%. Meanwhile, Fine swept the state’s 6th Congressional District by 56.7% of the vote compared to Weil’s 42.7%.
Daily Caller News Foundation Reporter @AndiNapier: “Democrats massively out funded…Republicans in these Florida House races, but still lost by double digits in both of the congressional districts. What’s your takeaway from these races?”
JEFFRIES: “Um… I mean… Donald… pic.twitter.com/UP4buLPzlI
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 2, 2025
Daily Caller News Foundation Reporter “Today, voters reminded the world that Florida is Trump Country,” Fine wrote Tuesday in a post on X. “I won because of @realDonaldTrump’s endorsement and his call for voters to send me to be a warrior for his America First agenda. In my visits to the polls today, I spoke to voters who waited for more than an hour because they wanted the country to know they still stand with President Trump. They are demanding Washington follow his bold leadership to secure our border, demand fair trade, and restore America as a leader on the world stage. To the voters who helped make today’s decisive victory possible, thank you for your support — I will not let you down. And to President Trump and my new Republican colleagues in Congress — reinforcements are coming. I’m on my way.”
Trump notably swept Florida in the 2024 presidential election, notching 51.6% of the vote to Harris’ 43%. This was a massive increase from Trump’s margins in the 2020 presidential election, when he won Florida by 51.2% to former President Joe Biden’s 47.9%, and even more so from 2016, when Trump notched 49% of the vote to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 47.8%.
In November 2024, Florida residents also rejected a ballot measure to enshrine a constitutional right to abortion, retaining the state’s six-week ban, despite left-wing proponents raising more than $75 million for the effort while opposition to the measure raised just over $10 million.
Democrats, their allied super political action committees (PACs) and other affiliated groups raised a whopping $2.9 billion in the 2024 election cycle, compared to about $1.8 billion raised by the Republicans.
“Just received a call from the President,” Patronis wrote in a Tuesday post on X. “He’s the best. Couldn’t be more honored. Told him the $6 million against me couldn’t compete against his Truth Social posts. Ready to serve. Thanks for everyone’s support.”
Still, Democrats notched a win on Tuesday when Democrat-backed liberal Judge Susan Crawford defeated Conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, securing the coveted open seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. Tuesday’s judicial race was notably the most expensive in U.S. history, as it was set in a battleground state which Trump won by less than one point in 2024, with Crawford outraising Schimel nearly 2-1.
Many Democrats criticized billionaire Elon Musk over his handing out $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters ahead of Tuesday’s judicial race, despite Crawford’s campaign relying heavily on donations from out-of-state donors and left-wing billionaires, including George Soros, who donated $2 million to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which then gave the money to Crawford’s campaign.
Fine’s campaign and Patronis’ campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.
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