Following special elections in Florida next week, Republicans hope to increase their House majority by two seats, providing GOP leaders some leeway in a sharply split legislature. However, they may be waiting for the polls to conclude on Tuesday.
Next week, voters will cast ballots in Florida’s deep-red 1st and 6th Congressional Districts, which were easily won by President Donald Trump in November. Republicans are more competitive as a result of a surge in Democratic funding and early votes, but they still anticipate winning both contests.
Republicans are concerned that unexpectedly close races could support the notion that Democrats are winning the midterm elections next year and that people are rejecting the Trump administration.
The stakes are huge, as Trump himself has stated.
At a tele-town hall Thursday night for Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is seeking to succeed former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in the 1st District on the Florida Panhandle, Trump stated, “Your vote in this crucial election will help determine whether the radical left will grind Congress to a halt, which is what they want to do — just stop everything, all the progress that we’ve made, which is record-setting.”
Additionally, Trump hosted a tele-town hall with state senator Randy Fine, who is seeking to succeed former GOP representative Michael Waltz, who is currently Trump’s national security adviser, in the 6th District on the state’s eastern coast.
Patronis stated in a Wednesday interview that Trump is “laser-focused” on winning these special elections, adding that he met with the president on Monday and provided him with an update on his campaign. Fine declined to comment on his race.