In two Florida special primary elections on Tuesday, the strength of President Donald Trump’s support will be put to the test for the first time during his second term.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis in the 1st Congressional District and state Senator Randy Fine in the 6th District, two of Trump’s favorite candidates, seem to be in a great position, outpacing their main rivals in fundraising and attracting outside assistance.
According to Florida consultant Jamie Miller, a former executive director of the state GOP, “Trump’s endorsement has loomed large in Florida Republican politics for most of a decade,” pointing out that Trump’s backing was a key element in helping Gov. Ron DeSantis win his 2018 primary.
A qualified candidate has a very high chance of winning a primary if they don’t make any significant mistakes, Miller continued.
Patronis is seeking to succeed former Representative Matt Gaetz, who retracted his nomination as Trump’s attorney general in November due to sexual misconduct claims. Following Trump’s announcement that he will select Gaetz, Gaetz stated his intention to step down. Former Representative Michael Waltz, who is currently Trump’s national security adviser, is being challenged by Fine.
The special general elections in the ruby-red districts are scheduled for April 1 and will be heavily favored to the GOP primary winners. Patronis and Fine have been trying to highlight Trump’s support.
According to what President Trump told me, “You watch, Jimmy.” Recalling a phone conversation from late November, Patronis stated in an interview on Monday that “many people are going to think twice about getting in when I endorse you.”
Patronis claimed that after Trump publicly urged him to run, he received calls from other prospective candidates who had chosen to withdraw from the race.
According to Patronis, “these people have the same kind of passion in their hearts as I do.” They are reluctant to oppose the president. The president believes that this person will help him the most in completing his agenda.
However, a number of other candidates choose to remain in the race: Patronis is one of ten Republican candidates who earned a spot on the primary ballot in the Florida Panhandle’s 1st District. However, Patronis has significantly outspent his opponents; as of January 8, he had $711,000 in his campaign fund.
According to campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission, Gene Valentino, his closest opponent and the man who has financed the most of his campaign himself, had $29,000 in his account.
There is less competition for Fine, Trump’s choice to replace Waltz in the 6th District, as he is one of only three Republicans eligible to run. As of January 8, Fine had $242,000 in his account; none of the other GOP contenders said they had raised a sizable sum of money. Fine declined to comment on the race.
A few outside organizations have also helped Patronis and Fine by placing advertisements in voters’ mailboxes and on the radio. According to independent spending reports submitted to the FEC, Defend American Jobs, a super PAC associated with the bitcoin sector, has spent $700,000 on advertisements in both contests.
Patronis and King have made the most of their Trump support by prominently displaying images of themselves with him on their campaign websites.
Patronis has also mentioned Trump on the radio and television, emphasizing his call with the president. Both commercials make reference to the assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania last year; the TV commercial shows footage of the incident. Patronis called the incident a turning point and stated that he did not bring up the assassination attempt with Trump’s team.
Speaker Mike Johnson and other House GOP leaders have also endorsed Patronis and Fine. Additionally, they will be well-positioned to win the GOP-leaning districts in the special elections if they prevail in Tuesday’s primaries. Last year, Gaetz and Waltz were re-elected by a margin of almost thirty points.
Johnson may be able to strengthen his tenuous House majority with the help of the special elections. Even without Gaetz, who frequently struggled with leadership and spearheaded the drive to remove Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker, navigating that little majority will still be difficult.
For example, citing his experience as Florida’s chief financial officer, Patronis claimed he could argue with Trump and GOP leaders over government spending.
He stated, “I don’t usually have the tendency to blow things up.” However, I have no difficulty pointing out ridiculousness, and I won’t waste people’s money.
Despite the challenges they will face in April, Democrats are still running in Tuesday’s primaries.
The only Democrat in the 1st District is Gay Valimont, a grassroots gun violence crusader who was defeated by Gaetz in November. George Selmont, an attorney, and Josh Weil, a teacher, are the two most prominent Democratic fundraisers in the 6th District.