ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) — 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.
Fine, a self-described “conservative firebrand,” ran with Trump’s endorsement.
Fine’s struggles came in the last few weeks as national Republican operatives worried that he needed more money to combat Weil’s eye-popping $9 million compared to Fine’s $1 million, which drew national attention from political operatives questioning whether this race would embarrass Republicans less than 100 days into Trump’s administration.
Yet that wasn’t the case for Democrats. For weeks, national leaders have attributed Weil’s fundraising success to what they characterized as widespread outrage about the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal government. That outrage failed to materialize in large enough numbers to overturn the outcome in the reliably Republican district, foiling Democrats’ hope to pull off a huge upset that would have buoyed their party.
Fine was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and ran each year as a representative until 2024 when he successfully won his election to the Florida Senate. He is known for his support of Israel and his efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights.