(NewsNation) — Republicans are bracing for a closer-than-expected race in Florida’s Congressional District 6 special election on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump won the district, located on the Florida’s eastern coast, by 30 points last November. Michael Waltz also secured a majority win in the district before leaving the seat when he was tapped to be Trump’s national security adviser.
But in the months leading up to Tuesday’s special election, Democrats have significantly outraised Republicans.
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Florida Congressional District 6 election
Democrats are putting their money behind Joshua Weil, who has pulled in about $9 million for his campaign, far outpacing Republican Randy Fine, a Trump-endorsed Florida state senator.
Some Republicans worry Fine doesn’t have the enthusiasm behind him in a district that should be a comfortable win for the GOP.
Republican volunteers went door-to-door Monday in the final hours before election day, with Fine telling NewsNation, “it’s good that people are worried.”
“When you’re a candidate, you should only run one of two ways: scared, or unopposed,” Fine said.
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“What we’ve been dealing with is Democrats are mad because every time Donald Trump wins, they lose. They hate what he’s doing,” Fine said.
But Republicans are watching this race closely and trying to stop what would be a stunning upset by Democrats.
Trump has called in to two tele-rallies and posted online encouraging people to vote, and Elon Musk’s America PAC has recently dropped tens of thousands of dollars into the race.
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that, “regardless of the outcome,” it’s going to be an “underperformance.”
Florida Congressional District 1 election
In District 1, Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer, and Democrat Gay Valimont are looking to fill Matt Gaetz’s seat.
Gaetz, who Trump tapped to be attorney general, resigned from Congress in 2024 amid sexual misconduct allegations and a looming ethics report.
Trump has endorsed Patronis, promising on Truth Social that the candidate “WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
While Patronis and Valimont are facing off in an overwhelmingly Republican area — Trump garnered more than 60% of the vote in 2024 — the funds are behind the Democrats.
Federal Elections Commission filings show Valimont raised $6.4 million, while Patronis raised $1.2 million.
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While a Republican loss in such a deep-red district is unlikely, Tuesday’s election could act as a test of whether Democrats can close the gap in a Trump-won district.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is already pushing the message that if Democrats overperform in the districts, resistance to Trump’s second term could help them take back the House in 2026.
“These are races that should not under ordinary circumstances be on anyone’s political radar. They are safe Republican seats that Donald Trump won by more than 30 points,” Jeffries told reporters this week. “The American people are not buying what the Republicans are selling. That is why they are on the run.”
It will also serve as a first test for Republicans looking to maintain a slim House majority.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
