Voters in Wisconsin and Florida will voice how they feel about President Donald Trump and Republicans when they cast their votes in key races in Wisconsin and Florida.
Two Florida congressional seats gave the GOP more control in the chamber following victories for Republican Jimmy Patronis in Florida’s 1st Congressional District and Republican Sen. Randy Fine in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
The marquee race Tuesday is for a swing seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a technically nonpartisan election that has drawn at least $90 million in spending.
Florida 1st Congressional district special election race
Local perspective:
Republican Jimmy Patronis won a special election Tuesday in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, bolstered by President Donald Trump’s endorsement to fill a vacant seat in reliably Republican northern Florida and despite national Democrats pouring millions into the race.
Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer, fended off a challenge from Democrat Gay Valimont even though she far outraised and outspent him. He will fill the northwest Florida seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was chosen to be Trump’s attorney general but withdrew from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
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Florida 6th Congressional district special election race
Local perspective:
Republican state Sen. Randy Fine won a special election Tuesday to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil and squashing efforts by national Democrats who spent millions of dollars on the race.
Fine had faced growing pressure during the race’s final days as some Republicans publicly criticized his campaign and fundraising efforts. His victory ends Democratic hopes to score a huge upset in a district that was heavily supportive of President Donald Trump in November.
The race to fill the seat vacated by Mike Waltz when he was tapped to become Trump’s national security adviser received national attention. Democrats poured money into Weil’s campaign to outraise Fine by nearly tenfold, attempting to flip a seat where the president won by more than 30 points.
Why Trump, GOP should care about Florida
Big picture view:
Control of the U.S. House is not at stake, but the outcome of the special elections could give congressional Republicans some breathing room in the narrowly divided chamber. Republicans hold 218 seats, the minimum needed for a majority in a fully seated House. Democrats hold 213 seats, with two additional vacant seats most recently held by Democratic lawmakers.
Wisconsin Supreme Court race
Local perspective:
Majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court will be decided Tuesday in a race that broke records for spending and has become a proxy battle for the nation’s political fights, pitting a candidate backed by Trump against a Democratic-aligned challenger.
Republicans, including Trump and the world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk, lined up behind Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general. Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and billionaire megadonor George Soros backed Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge who led legal fights to protect union power, abortion rights and to oppose voter ID.
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Why Trump, GOP should care about Wisconsin
Big picture view:
The first major election in the country since November is seen as a litmus test of how voters feel about Trump’s first months back in office and the role played by Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has torn through federal agencies and laid off thousands of workers. Musk traveled to Wisconsin on Sunday to make a pitch for Schimel and personally hand out $1 million checks to two voters.
What they’re saying:
On Monday, Trump hinted as to why the outcome of the race was important. The court can decide election-related laws and settle disputes over future election outcomes.
“Wisconsin’s a big state politically, and the Supreme Court has a lot to do with elections in Wisconsin,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “Winning Wisconsin’s a big deal, so therefore the Supreme Court choice … it’s a big race.”
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report, and the election results reflect the AP’s tally. Background information draws on LiveNOW from FOX interviews, AP, and reporting by FOX stations in Wisconsin and Florida. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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