What to make of Florida's special elections
The backstory on the poll leaked to sound the alarm. ⏰
A pair of Florida Republicans preserved reliably red U.S. House districts in special elections on Tuesday, preventing Democrats from an upset that could have been used as a political cudgel against President Donald Trump in his home state.
Randy Fine, a combative state senator who clashed with Gov. Ron DeSantis, won the open-seat race in northeast Florida’s 6th congressional district to succeed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
In Florida’s 1st congressional district covering the Panhandle, Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer, handily captured the seat held by former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Each enjoyed and heavily touted the endorsement of the president. Despite reams of complaints about Fine’s abilities as a candidate, the pair of wins avoids what would have amounted to a cataclysmic political embarrassment for leaders of the GOP, many of whom openly fretted about Fine’s campaign.
Continue reading my story for The Miami Herald HERE.
More #TCTC:
