Republicans on Tuesday won special elections for two US House of Representatives seats in Florida vacated by Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, dashing Democratic hopes for an upset victory in the first federal special elections held since the president began his second term.
But Democratic candidates Josh Weil and Gay Valimont are likely to lose the solidly red districts by much smaller margins than the more than 30 points that Democrats lost the districts by in November.
Weil put up a stiff challenge in the eastern coastal district formerly represented by Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, and Democrats were holding out hope for a surprise victory. Weil, a Democratic public school teacher, had outraised Fine, a state senator, and a poll had shown them running practically neck-and-neck days before the election.
The AP also called a second special election in Florida for Republican Jimmy Patronis, in the seat vacated by Republican Matt Gaetz, who resigned after Trump nominated him for attorney general only to drop out amid reports of sexual misconduct and drug use or possession.
Democrats were not expected to be competitive in the heavily Republican area, but the final result is likely to be much closer Tuesday than it was in November.
Read the full report on The Guardian.
