Latest news with #CongressionalDistrict6
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans bracing for close call in Florida's District 6 election
(NewsNation) — Republicans are bracing for a closer-than-expected race in Florida's Congressional District 6 special election on Tuesday. President Donald Trump won the district, located on Florida's eastern coast, by 30 points last November. Michael Waltz also secured a majority win in the district before leaving the seat when he was tapped to be Trump's national security adviser. But in the months leading up to Tuesday's special election, Democrats have significantly outraised Republicans. O'Reilly: If economy suffers under Trump, he loses midterms Democrats are putting their money behind Joshua Weil, who has pulled in about $9 million for his campaign, far outpacing Republican Randy Fine, a Trump-endorsed Florida state senator. Some Republicans worry Fine doesn't have the enthusiasm behind him in a district that should be a comfortable win for the GOP. Republican volunteers went door-to-door Monday in the final hours before election day, with Fine telling NewsNation, 'It's good that people are worried.' 'When you're a candidate, you should only run one of two ways: scared, or unopposed,' Fine said. Odds of a recession are rising, top economists warn 'What we've been dealing with is Democrats are mad because every time Donald Trump wins, they lose. They hate what he's doing,' Fine said. But Republicans are watching this race closely and trying to stop what would be a stunning upset by Democrats. Trump has called in to two tele-rallies and posted online, encouraging people to vote, and Elon Musk's America PAC has recently dropped tens of thousands of dollars into the race. Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that 'regardless of the outcome,' it's going to be an 'underperformance.' In District 1, Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state's chief financial officer, and Democrat Gay Valimont are looking to fill Matt Gaetz's seat. Gaetz, who Trump tapped to be attorney general, resigned from Congress in 2024 amid sexual misconduct allegations and a looming ethics report. Trump has endorsed Patronis, promising on Truth Social that the candidate 'WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!' While Patronis and Valimont are facing off in an overwhelmingly Republican area — Trump garnered more than 60% of the vote in 2024 — the funds are behind the Democrats. Federal Elections Commission filings show Valimont raised $6.4 million, while Patronis raised $1.2 million. Trump says he expects Musk to eventually return to running companies While a Republican loss in such a deep-red district is unlikely, Tuesday's election could act as a test of whether Democrats can close the gap in a Trump-won district. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is already pushing the message that if Democrats overperform in the districts, resistance to Trump's second term could help them take back the House in 2026. 'These are races that should not, under ordinary circumstances, be on anyone's political radar. They are safe Republican seats that Donald Trump won by more than 30 points,' Jeffries told reporters this week. 'The American people are not buying what the Republicans are selling. That is why they are on the run.' It will also serve as a first test for Republicans looking to maintain a slim House majority. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Early voting underway in Volusia, 5 other counties. Two very different candidates on ballot.
Early voting for the April 1 special election to replace former Congressman Michael Waltz has started and will continue through Saturday in six Florida counties including Volusia and Flagler. Waltz resigned his Congressional District 6 seat in January when he was tapped by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. national security advisor. Both leading candidates vying for the congressional seat said Saturday – the first day of early voting – they feel optimistic about winning the election, each defending their political ideologies. "We feel great," said Republican Randy Fine when asked how his campaign is doing. "Look, what we need is people who support President Trump to get out and vote. If they do that we are going to win big." Democrat Josh Weil said what he saw in Saturday's early voting reflects the momentum his campaign has picked up in this special election. After the first two days of early voting, Democrats were outperforming the GOP in Volusia County, drawing 1,423 Dems to 1,082 Republicans. However, in Flagler and the four other counties that comprise the district, Republicans were turning out more party members. Combining early voting and vote-by-mail turnout throughout the 6th District, Democrats held a slight advantage going into Monday, with 43.1% of the 46,377 votes, while Republicans had 41.2%. With the remainder of votes coming from voters with no party affiliation or members of minor parties, the race is far tighter than previous congressional contests in east-central Florida. The 6th District is comprised of 49% Republicans and 25.5% Democrats, according to the Florida Division of Elections. By 11:55 a.m. on Saturday, at least 10 people waited in line at the Supervisor of Elections DeLand office to vote. "Let me tell you, to have a line in early voting, it means people are coming out," said a volunteer for Fine's campaign. The woman declined to give her name but said she has been working campaigns for five years and this is the first time she has seen a line form in the first day of early voting to elect one person. Fine visited the campaign tent in DeLand to have pizza and chat with volunteers and voters. Asked if he has been able to get his message out to voters in view that his opponent, Weil, has raised more money, Fine took a swipe at Weil's campaign calling it a ripoff. "He's raised a lot of money. He is giving it to himself. Never in my political career have I seen a candidate who literally is taking money from his donors and paying himself a salary," Fine said. The FEC report on the Weil campaign's spending does show the candidate taking a salary, with payments between Jan. 9 and March 4 totaling $9,459. FEC rules allow non-officeholders to pay themselves although there are restrictions on how much a candidate can earn. Weil's campaign said the candidate is collecting pay equivalent to his teacher's salary, in accordance with the law. "We need more working people in Congress who understand the challenges families are facing, and that's who Josh is," his campaign said. "And it's why he needs to draw an honest salary from the campaign to support his two boys." Weil's fundraising has tapped into anger across the country over the president's agenda. Fine is leaning into what Trump has done in his first two months. "What I am going to do is I am going to stand with President Trump. The Trump agenda is on the line in this election," Fine said. "The Republican majority in the House is very tight and that's why you see questionable Act Blue money from all over the country flood in." "There is a reason President Trump asked me to run, there is a reason that I'm running. It's to make sure the Trump agenda wins," Fine added. Weil responded that Fine chooses to lash out with lies. "Randy Fine is lashing out with lies and attacks because he knows he's in trouble in this race," Weil wrote in a text to the News-Journal. Weil said his campaign has increased momentum because he remains focused on what truly matters to voters. "Our campaign is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Social Security and lowering costs, ensuring that our seniors and families have the support they need to thrive," Weil said in his statement. Also running for the congressional seat are Libertarian Andrew Parrott and no-party affiliation candidate Randall Terry. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Early voting underway in Florida's 6th District congressional election
