Latest news with #GayValimont
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
All us billionaires who voted Patronis must be celebrating ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
All us billionaires who voted Patronis must be celebrating 'Big Beautiful Bill' | Letters Show Caption Hide Caption PNJ Headlines: Here's what's in the news Tuesday People react to arrest of woman with dementia, Santa Rosa zoning board controversy, and Seventy1 Bistro in Tuesday's news Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are those of our readers and not the Pensacola News Journal. In order for letters to be considered for publication, they must be 250 words or less and include your full name, address and phone number. Only your name and city of residence will be published. Submission does not guarantee publication. Email submissions to opinion@ All us billionaires who voted for Patronis must be celebrating now To all voters in House District 1, there was a special election on April 1. Just recently, you were asked to exercise your constitutional right to vote for your representative. The race was between Democrat Gay Valimont and Republican Jimmy Patronis. And Jimmy Patronis won. Thank you to all who voted. Just to point out that your vote counts, the U.S. House of Representatives voted this week on the 'Big Beautiful Budget' that will cut Medicaid, SNAP, and Meals on Wheels to name just a few things. And this budget will also give tax breaks to all of you billionaires. The amazing thing is that it passed by one vote! It comes down to what is important to you. If more people had voted to elect Gay Valimont, that bill would not have passed, we would not have the possibility giant cuts to Medicaid and the other cuts in this Budget. Since more people voted for Jimmy Patronis, there is the possibility that huge tax cuts will be available for the very rich. Which will affect you? If Gay Valimont had been elected on April 1, you would have been responsible for saving Medicaid and disappointing those billionaires in the neighborhood. Please don't think that your vote doesn't count. Because it does. It did. And will continue to matter. Donna Grace, Gulfport Perhaps neighborhood developers should take bear habitat into consideration Whose fault is it that bears are "encroaching" on our neighborhoods? For how many years and how many acres have people encroached on bear habitat? Maybe those responsible for giving permission for development should identify bear habitat and consider the bears. Then maybe the bears would not get a death sentence from those who moved into their land. Perhaps redevelopment of rundown areas could be considered, instead. Meg Melvin, Pensacola Pensacola Beach could do more to give warning flags better visibility As a resident of Santa Rosa and Escambia counties off and on for almost 50 years, Pensacola Beach is a big part of my life. You hear about the beach warning flag system daily on the news, which is a great thing. Arriving on Santa Rosa Island from the Bob Sikes Bridge, you immediately see the warning flag color (which can change throughout the day). If you set up at the Casino Beach parking lot, you are one of the few lucky ones that can see the warning flag. We recently rented 102 Ariola Drive for the week. There were 13 of us of whom only two could see what color the warning flag was that was flying at the end of the pier. The lifeguard trucks that roam the beach have what amounts to a small piece of colored cloth attached under a surfboard. There are a lot of American flags flying on the shoreline, but not one beach warning flag! People are chastised and berated for not following the warning flags that they cannot see! The warning flag system is a great idea but can only be followed if it is visible. It seems the lifeguard trucks can put in a little effort and fly a warning flag. Also, if you display the warning flags along with the American flags, they would be visible to many and do the job they were intended to do, save lives. Cyndi Schumaker, Milton Donald Trump's corruption must be resisted As the continuing blatant immorality and corruption of Donald Trump seems inevitable, the temptation to just accept it increases. But he will be stopped! We cannot just give up. Our voices of protest must continue to mobilize the people. Stopping Trump won't end the threat to the United States and our system of government. The demise of Marx and Hitler did not end Marxism and Fascism. Trumpism has spread to a large portion of our population. The resistance to the threat they project must continue. Our vigilance and action against them will continue. The extreme right of neo-Nazis and white Christian nationalists will not go away. But their political aims can be suppressed. Michael Gilbert, Jay Memorial Day is not for veterans, but for those who gave all This weekend is not Veterans Day. It's Memorial Day — a time not to thank the living, but to honor the fallen. I say this with the utmost sincerity, please do not thank veterans this weekend. Those of us who are veterans have our day in November. Memorial Day is for our brothers, sisters, and siblings who gave everything — the ones who didn't come home. When you thank us now, it reminds us that we made it back while they did not. It's a heavy reminder, one that intensifies the pain. This weekend is not about service — it's about sacrifice. To the estimated 22 veterans we lose to suicide daily — we remember you. Not every battle ends on the battlefield. Our hearts are with your families. The fight to support change and support service members must continue. Veterans represent every race, religion, ethnicity, and background. They spoke many languages and had families from every corner of the world. They loved in many ways. Make sure your idea of patriotism is not narrow minded. Honor all of them. To the family of SrA Fortson, we honor his service, his legacy, and his sacrifice. He was a hero. While justice may be absent, we continue to demand accountability. Christina Forrest, Navarre Why is DeSantis fighting so hard to deny climate change Floridians, it's time to get serious about combating climate change. Why is it taboo to include those words in any government legislative materials? Gov. DeSantis doesn't believe that our weather is changing in dramatic ways. He like Donald Trump dismisses the evidence that these wild weather patterns have anything to do with manmade emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. Extensive scientific studies have shown that these gases emitted into our atmosphere are heating the planet beyond normal cycles producing havoc (e.g. historic numbers of devastating storms, fires, tornadoes and droughts). DeSantis supports Donald Trump's willingness to 'drill baby drill' producing more polluting fossil fuels. DeSantis offered marginal effort to reduce damage to our environment by banning release of helium filled balloons over our waterways (known to harm/kill turtles/other sea life). Yet he has prevented cities and counties from banning the distribution of more damaging plastic bags. Encouraging the use of multiple cotton or plastic bags is a meaningful step to reducing production of petrochemicals. Estimates by reliable sources show that we Americans use approximately 100 billion single use plastic bags each year. By eliminating those bags, we could avoid production of three million barrels of oil. Wayne Seden, Gulf Breeze Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Pensacola News Journal using the link at the bottom of the page under Stay Connected.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida special election 2025 results for U.S. House District 1, District 6
Who are the winners and losers in Tuesday's special election? Florida voters cast ballots Tuesday, April 1, 2025, with their picks for Congress, in the U.S. House District 1 and District 6 races. The U.S. House District 1 winner will fill the seat left vacant by Matt Gaetz. Democrat Gay Valimont and Republican Jimmy Patronis are vying for the seat. Independents Richard Dembinsky, Stanley Gray and Stan McDaniels are also on the ballot, along with Stephen E. Broden, who has no party affiliation. The U.S. House District 6 winner will fill the seat left vacant by Republican Mike Waltz, who resigned to become President Donald Trump's national security advisor. Republican Randy Fine and Democrat Josh Weil are vying for the District 6 seat. Also on the ballot are Libertarian Andrew Parrott as well as Randall Terry who has no party affiliation. Follow along below for the latest election results, continually updated until the last ballot is counted. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. Use the voter information look-up to check your voter registration and party status. To find your polling place, sample ballot, and vote-by-mail ballot status, check the voter precinct look-up. Editor's note: Due to technical limitations, only the top two vote-getters are displayed for races with more than three candidates, and links in results modules are disabled. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order until results come in. April 1: Special Election The key races for Florida voters are U.S. House District 1 and 6. There are also two state House and one Senate seat up for grabs. In District 1, Republican Jimmy Patronis is battling Democrat Gay Valimont to replace Matt Gaetz. In District 6, Democrat Josh Weil and Republican Randy Fine are vying to replace Mike Waltz, who resigned to be National Security Advisor in the Trump administration. To see a sample ballot, check your county elections office website. Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida special election results for congressional districts 1 and 6
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida special election 2025 results for U.S. House District 1, State House District 3
Who are the winners and losers in Tuesday's special election? Voters in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and part of Walton County cast ballots with their picks in the U.S. House District 1 race. Santa Rosa and Okaloosa voters also decided on representation in the Florida House District 3 contest. The U.S. House District 1 winner will fill the seat left vacant by Matt Gaetz. Democrat Gay Valimont and Republican Jimmy Patronis are vying for the seat. Independents Richard Dembinsky, Stanley Gray and Stan McDaniels are also on the ballot, along with Stephen E. Broden, who has no party affiliation. Nine candidates are running for state representative in District 3. Follow along here for the latest election results, continually updated until the last ballot is counted. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time. Any voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a ballot. Use the voter information look-up to check your voter registration and party status. To find your polling place, sample ballot, and vote-by-mail ballot status, check the voter precinct look-up. Editor's note: Due to technical limitations, only the top two vote-getters are displayed for races with more than three candidates, and links in results modules are disabled. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order until results come in. April 1: Special Election The key races for Florida voters are U.S. House District 1 and 6. There are also two state House and one Senate seat up for grabs. In District 1, Republican Jimmy Patronis is battling Democrat Gay Valimont to replace Matt Gaetz. In District 6, Democrat Josh Weil and Republican Randy Fine are vying to replace Mike Waltz, who resigned to be National Security Advisor in the Trump administration. To see a sample ballot, check your county elections office website. Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida election results: Congress District 1 – Patronis vs Valimont
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Northwest Florida Special Election: What voters should know
NORTHWEST FLORIDA (WKRG) — Polls open Tuesday morning at 7 for the Special Election for Florida's First Congressional District and the Special Primary Election for the open District 3 seat in the Florida State Legislature. Here's everything Northwest Florida voters should know before heading to the polls. Jimmy Patronis (Republican) Gay Valimont (Democrat) Stephen Broden (No Party Affiliation) This only accounts for most of Santa Rosa County and the top half of Okaloosa County. This seat came open after Joel Rudman resigned from his seat to run for the open Florida District 1 Representative seat following Matt Gaetz's resignation. Reminder: Florida is a closed primary state, so voters will only be able to vote for candidates within their party. Nathan Boyles (Republican) Hayden Hudson (Republican) Rena McQuaig (Republican) Wade A. Merritt (Republican) Shon O. Owens (Republican) Joshua Sik (Republican) Cynthia 'Cindy' Smith (Republican) Jamie Lee Wells (Republican) Dondre Wise is the only Democrat who has qualified, so the Special Primary Election for the Democratic Party has been canceled. sampleDownload FINAL-2025-April-Special-Sample-BallotDownload to see their sample ballots by entering their name and date of birth. Voters in Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties can all find their designated polling location online:Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
