A pair of Florida Republicans endorsed by President Donald Trump won their primaries on Tuesday to advance in the first congressional special elections of the new Trump era.
The victories by Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, and state Sen. Randy Fine mean both will be the heavy favorites in the April 1 contests to fill the respective seats of GOP former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz. And the results in the two deep-red districts show that the 47th president maintains his powerful grasp on Republican voters when he weighs in on primaries.
Patronis won a 10-way primary for the 1st District in the Florida Panhandle, according to The Associated Press. With 62 percent of the vote in, he was leading with 66 percent. His primary opponents included former state Rep. Joel Rudman and Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock, who challenged Gaetz in the primary last year after the congressman had played a key role in ousting Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
Gaetz abruptly resigned in November after Trump announced him as his pick for attorney general. Gaetz later withdrew from consideration in the face of ethics allegations and did not take his seat for the new Congress earlier this month.
Gaetz won a fifth term last fall, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist, by 32 points. Valimont was unopposed Tuesday for the Democratic nomination for the special election.
Patronis, who previously served in the state House, has twice been elected statewide as Florida’s top financial officer. He submitted his resignation as state CFO in November, with an effective date of March 31, as he launched his congressional bid with Trump’s support.
Meanwhile, in the 6th District, south of Jacksonville, Fine won a three-way Republican race, according to the AP. With 89 percent of the vote in, he was leading with 82 percent. He will next face Democratic primary winner Josh Weil, a public school teacher.
“G-d saved @realDonaldTrump’s life so he could save the world,” Fine said Tuesday on social media. “And tonight, both of them, powered by my amazing family and all of you who voted for me, put me one step closer to being able to help him do that. I swear I won’t let any of you down.”
Fine served four terms in the state House before his election to the state Senate in November. He turned in his resignation later that month, also with an effective date of March 31, after receiving Trump’s backing to succeed Waltz.
Waltz, who resigned last week to become Trump’s national security adviser, won a fourth term in November by 33 percentage points.
The National Republican Congressional Committee celebrated the results, with spokesman Will Kiley touting the winners’ public service records in separate statements.
“Randy’s record of results in both the State House and State Senate is unmatched,” said Kiley, while also hailing Patronis’ “long record of service” to the Sunshine State.
Republicans hold just a threadbare majority in the House, which is likely to shrink further following New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s expected confirmation as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Holding on to those seats in special elections would give Republicans a small bit of breathing room as they seek to push through the president’s agenda.
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