Key congressional seats up for grabs in special elections as GOP holds slim House majority
The Brief
Congressional seats in District 1 and District 6 are up for grabs on Tuesday.
In District 1, Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, faces Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun control activist.
In District 6, Republican State Sen. Randy Fine is running against Democrat Josh Weil, a public school educator.
TAMPA, Fla. - Voters in parts of Florida are heading to the polls on Tuesday to fill two congressional seats recently vacated by Republicans.
The GOP holds a five-seat edge over Democrats in the U.S. House, with four vacancies nationwide, including the two in Florida.
The backstory
District 1, which covers the western portion of the Florida Panhandle, was previously represented by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress in late 2024.
Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, faces Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun control activist.
District 6, which includes parts of St. Johns County and all of Putnam County, saw its congressional seat vacated when former Rep. Michael Waltz became President Donald Trump's national security advisor.
Republican State Sen. Randy Fine is running against Democrat Josh Weil, a public school educator.
What they're saying
Republican strategists have expressed some alarm over how close these races may have become, especially in District 6, where Weil has outraised Fine by a 10-1 margin.
While recent polling suggests the race could be close, analysts caution against reading too much into those numbers in districts where Trump won by more than 30 points in November 2024.
"These special elections are very weird," said Dr. Michael Binder, faculty director of the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida. "It's difficult to lean on historical voter turnout trends and figuring out who's ultimately going to show up."
READ: Governor DeSantis proposes eliminating property taxes in Florida
Still, the polls and fundraising numbers have stoked nerves among Republican strategists. Fine, specifically, has been called out by top officials in his party.
Democratic Party leaders remain tempered, though, when it comes to their ability to pull off an upset in either race.
What's next
Polls opened on Tuesday at 7 a.m. ET in the 6th District and 8 a.m. ET in the 1st District, with voting closing at 7 p.m. ET in the 6th District and 8 p.m. ET in the 1st District.
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The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan.
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