Special elections – Hand of a person casting a ballot at a polling station during voting. Photo and Caption: Alexandru Nika/Shutterstock.com
Two safe Republican congressional districts in Florida that have seen significant Democratic money are up for special elections today. Since President Trump removed Rep. Elise Stefanik’s name from consideration for U.N. ambassador in order to prevent further eroding his party’s already slim majority, the Florida seats have come under more scrutiny.
With 218 seats compared to Democrats’ 213, Republicans presently hold a razor-thin majority in the House. Two seats that were occupied by Democrats who passed away in March are still open.
Who is vying for Florida District 6’s Mike Waltz seat?
Unexpectedly, there is fierce competition to succeed former Representative Mike Waltz, who left his position in Florida’s 6th Congressional District to serve as Mr. Trump’s national security adviser.
In a seat that Waltz won by more than 30 points in November, Democrat Josh Weil has surpassed Republican state senator Randy Fine by a substantial margin. According to Federal Election Commission documents, Weil, a public school teacher, had raised over $9 million until mid-March, while Fine raised less than $1 million.
When Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, disclosed that Waltz was added to a group on the encrypted messaging app and watched as senior Trump officials discussed delicate plans to strike targets in Yemen, the race received additional attention last week.
The fight for the seat representing an area on the eastern coast of Florida has received a lot of attention as a result of the occurrences. A win for the GOP would also offer the party more breathing room as it tries to pass Mr. Trump’s agenda, even if Republicans are not in risk of losing their majority even if Democrats pull off surprises in both seats.
The president gave the explanation that he didn’t want to risk further eroding the already slim majority when he rescinded the appointment of Stefanik, a Republican from New York who has been one of Mr. Trump’s most devoted representatives in Congress.
“We don’t want to take any chances,” Mr. Trump stated in the White House last week. That’s all there is to it. It’s simply politics.
Who is vying for Florida District 1’s seat against Matt Gaetz?
The vacancy left by former Representative Matt Gaetz, whose nomination as attorney general was thwarted by a House Ethics Committee investigation alleging sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, will be filled by the other special election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District in the Panhandle region of the state. Despite having previously resigned from Congress, Gaetz, who denied any misconduct, removed his name from consideration.
The state’s chief financial officer, Republican Jimmy Patronis, and gun control activist Gay Valimont are running in the largely Republican and supposedly less competitive seat. According to FEC filings, as of mid-March, Patronis had raised $2.1 million, while Valimont had raised around $6.5 million.
The first elections since Trump’s comeback
The elections, which are seen as crucial tests for the Republican Party, are the first since Mr. Trump’s return to office. On Tuesday, there will also be a Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, said Republicans should take note of the focus on the consistently red districts, but he refrained from saying that Democrats will win either seat on Tuesday.
During a press conference last week, he stated, “These are races that should not under normal circumstances be on anyone’s political radar.” “What I can say, almost guarantee, is that the Democratic candidate in both of these Florida special elections will significantly over-perform, which will represent another sign that the Republicans are on the run and that Democrats are going to take back control of the House of Representatives next year.”
In Florida’s special elections, who is eligible to vote?
Voting in the elections is open to anybody who is registered to vote in Florida’s 6th and 1st districts. Same-day voter registration is prohibited in Florida. 29 days before to election day, prospective voters can register to vote by mail, in person, or online.
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