The two Trump-backed Republicans won a special congressional election in Florida on Tuesday, reparing for the party's slim majority at a key moment on President Trump's domestic agenda, according to the Associated Press.
The state's chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, won a race to replace Matt Getz in the First Congressional District, on the western edge of the Panhandle.
Sen. Randy Fein has captured the 6th District seat held by Michael Waltz, now Trump's national security adviser. The district is rooted in Daytona Beach and part of the Northeast Coast.
Both seats were expected to remain in Republican hands, but several private polls showed Fine faces a close contest with his Democratic opponent, Josh Weill. Democrats Weil and Gay Valimont, who faced Patronis, each raised millions of dollars for their campaign despite the Democratic struggle in Florida.
Getz resigned from his seat in his house last year after Trump appointed him as attorney general. He later retracted the post from consideration during an ethical investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.
Patronis and Fine easily cleared their respective key areas after securing Trump's support. Trump won both districts in November with double-digit margins.
Still, as Tuesday's special election approached, some Republicans raised concerns about Fine's race. Mr. Trump's top alley, Steve Bannon, warned in the show “War Room” that “there are candidates that we don't think are winning.”
Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who represented District 6 before running for offices across the state, predicted that “it would be a poorly performed for his party” compared to previous elections. However, he said such outcome would be “a reflection of the particular candidate running in that race.”
A former gambling lobbyist and pure state representative, Fine is the only Jewish Republican in the Florida Legislature. He said last year when he supported Trump in place of DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, he thought Trump was a better ally to anti-Semitism.
“No one is in a good position to acquire mantle for Florida families, small business owners and workers,” said Maureen O'Toole, a spokesman for the House Republican campaign division, of Fine.
Recovering Republican votes in two vacant seats with good-sleep management in the House is important as it is expected to include substantial cuts in spending and taxes as it navigates internal divisions through the domestic policy package. Democrats are expected to unanimously oppose the plan. This means House Republicans will barely spare the vote.
The results of the two races on Tuesday now have 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats, but Arizona and Texas still fill two seats.
Republican concerns about their narrow control in the House, and especially about Fine's race, grew to the point that on Thursday he asked New York Rep. Elise Stefanik to withdraw her name from consideration to staying in Congress instead.
