Randy Fine, Jimmy Patronis win Florida elections for GOP, overcoming vast fundraising deficits

Trump-backed Republicans swept a pair of special congressional elections in deep-red Florida districts, overcoming strong fundraising from their Democratic rivals and giving the House GOP much-needed reinforcements on Capitol Hill.

Republican state Sen. Randy Fine defeated Democrat Josh Weil, a teacher, in the 6th Congressional District in northeastern Florida.

And Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer, got the better of Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun control activist, in the 1st Congressional District on the Florida Panhandle.

President Trump took an immediate victory lap on social media, telling his followers that “both Florida House seats have been won, big, by the Republican candidate.”

“The Trump endorsement, as always, proved far greater than the Democrats forces of evil,” Mr. Trump said. “Congratulations to America!!!”

The results are welcome news for House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The Louisiana Republican has been operating with a slim 218-213 majority, leaving little margin for error as he prepares to muscle President Trump’s agenda through Congress alongside the Senate GOP.

Mr. Johnson’s challenge was displayed hours before polls closed in Florida after a small group of Republicans joined Democrats in a fight over a procedural rule. This effectively brought the chamber to a grinding halt and prompted GOP leaders to cancel votes.

With 95% of the vote reported Tuesday evening, Mr. Fine held a 56.5% to 42.8% lead over Mr. Weil. Libertarian Andrew Parrott and independent Randall Terry won less than 1 percent of the vote.

In the 1st District, Mr. Patronis was declared the winner shortly after the polls closed.

With 93% of the vote counted, he held a 56.4% to 42.8% lead over Ms. Valimont. Independent Stephen Broden received less than 1 percent of the vote.

Mr. Fine will fill the seat that former Rep. Mike Waltz vacated to become Mr. Trump’s national security advisor.

Mr. Patronis will fill the seat that former Rep. Matt Gaetz vacated after being nominated as U.S. attorney general. Mr. Gaetz withdrew from the post amid lingering sexual-misconduct accusations.

The results were disappointing but not unexpected for Democrats, who were ready and eager to put a positive spin on things.

The Democratic National Committee focused on Mr. Weil’s “stunning Overperformance.”

Ken Martin, the newly minted DNC chair, said Democrats are turning out voters in “blue, purple, and red districts to voice their anger at Donald Trump and Elon Musk.”

“Tonight was no different,” Mr. Martin said. “Republicans everywhere know a reckoning is coming – Democrats are taking the majority in 2026.”

Democrats have been scanning the political horizon for signs that voters’ opinions of the second Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress are starting to sour.

The fundraising disparity between the Democratic and Republican candidates in both races gave them a glimmer of hope that an upset was possible.

In the 6th District, Mr. Weil raised $9 million, and Mr. Fine brought in about $1 million. In the 1st District, Ms. Valimont raised about $6.5 million, compared to Mr. Patronis’s $2.1 million.

However, the financial advantage was insufficient to overcome the GOP’s built-in advantages in the Republican strongholds.

In the 2024 election, Mr. Trump won the 6th District by 30 percentage points and the 1st District by 37 points.

The National Republican Congressional Committee celebrated the wins.

NRCC Spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said Mr. Fine “has a proven record of delivering results for his community” and that “no one is better positioned to take up the mantle for Florida families, small business owners, and workers.”

Ms. O’Toole said Mr. Patronis “has fought relentlessly for his community as a State Representative, on the Public Service Commission, and as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer.”