Republicans Come Out on Top in Florida Special Elections — GOP Boosted With 2 House Seats, Narrow Majority Motivates Reps. to Further “Set Up the Team to Be Successful”

Republican victories yet again establish Florida as a power player in defending the Make America Great Again spirit in the political arena.

Florida held two special elections Tues. April 1, for vacancies left in the U.S. House after President Trump took office. The first major battleground state election since November 2024, Newly-elected Republican Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, were sworn in on April 2.

“BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE,” the President heralded over on Truth Social, celebrating the decisive GOP victory in the House. Republicans will now carry on a majority, albeit slim, of 220-213. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson swore in Patronis, former FL chief financial officer and state fire marshal, the first Wednesday of April to represent the western panhandle’s 1st Congressional District. Petronis clinched the close call with a 56.9% lead, 97,335 votes, over Pensacola Democrat Gay Valimont, who clocked in short at only 42.7%, 2,303 votes. 

The Trump-endorsed winning pick campaigned to work tirelessly alongside the President to “secure our border, stop migrant crime” and most relevant to this particular race “defend our always under siege Second Amendment.” The weight of gun ownership rights was tested by Valimont’s longtime background in gun control activism, and her opposition to Trump’s border policies. 

However slender, since his 14% advantage over his opponent is dwarfed by Trump’s 68% win in the 1st District, Patronis’ triumph still stands. “This election is a reminder that the Florida panhandle will forever be red, and it’ll forever be Trump country,” he told voters on Election Night. 

Rep. Patronis now inherits his congressional seat from the former U.S. Attorney General-nominee Rep. Matt Gaetz, who had resigned in order to serve in the Trump administration, yet the role ultimately went to defense lawyer Pam Bondi.

Meanwhile, Speaker Johnson also had the privilege of swearing in the 6th Congressional District’s winning candidate, former FL state senator Randy Fine. The third-generation Floridian offset his Democratic counterpart, Orlando educator Josh Weil, with a count of 110,764 votes, 56.7% of the district. Weil trailed behind Fine with 83,485 votes, only 42.7%.

Like Patronis, Randy Fine ran proudly on “advancing the America First agenda.” Having been the only Jewish Republican in his Legislature, fighting against antisemitism was his top priority. He vocalized his passion to “clamp down on illegal immigration,” as well as to “lower taxes and protect the second amendment.” Weil’s campaign deferred to the liberal talking points, calling for bipartisan compromise on illegal immigration, as well as fully supporting abortion.

Fine, who will replace now-U.S. National Security adviser Mike Waltz, similarly won at a narrower margin than Republicans are used to. Trump won the 6th District by 37 points, Fine only by 14. Nevertheless, central and panhandle FL remain ruby red. 

“Because of you, Mr. President. I won’t let you down,” wrote Rep. Fine on X/Twitter.

Democrats tried to salvage some dignity when it came to unsurprisingly losing these two conservative districts. DNC chair Ken Martin believes that “Democrats overperformed” that is, for a red state. For Weil, “it's not the end, it's a beginning for future races.”

Likewise, many Republicans are also not completely satisfied with holding on the House by only a hair. For Republicans’ standards in FL, Gov Ron Desantis called Patronis and Fine’s wins an “underperformance” and not indicative of a referendum of the likes of the 2024 election.  

Even Fine agrees, now is not the time to get too comfortable with a 5-vote margin. “I want us to have a 50 vote majority,” he told Fox News, “and the way you get there is showing the American people that conservative governance works.” 

Fine’s focus is being a team player and to “set up the team to be successful” in Washington D.C., furthering the America First agenda he championed throughout his campaign.