Jimmy Patronis, a Republican and Florida’s current chief financial officer, secured a decisive victory in the special election for Florida’s 1st Congressional District just moments after polls closed. Patronis had been widely favored to win in the deep-red district, which covers the westernmost part of the Florida Panhandle. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+19, the seat was previously held by Matt Gaetz, who resigned after being tapped as President Trump’s first nominee for attorney general.
On the Democratic side, gun control advocate Gay Valimont fell short in her long-shot attempt to flip the reliably red district. While a win was always considered unlikely, Democrats are closely analyzing the margins from Tuesday’s election as a measure of voter enthusiasm heading into the 2026 midterm elections. President Trump enthusiastically endorsed Patronis early in the campaign and congratulated him for his efforts in a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning.
“Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshall for the Great State of Florida, is running an incredible Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District! A fourth generation Floridian from the beautiful Panhandle, and owner of an iconic seafood restaurant, Jimmy has been a wonderful friend to me, and to MAGA,” the president wrote. “As your next Congressman, Jimmy will fight hard alongside of me to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes, Secure our Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Brave Military/Vets, Restore American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
The special election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District was one of two contests held in the state on Tuesday. In the 6th Congressional District, Florida State Senator Randy Fine ran to succeed National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Like Patronis, Fine was declared as the winner just moments after polls closed. Despite facing criticism from both state and national GOP leaders over fundraising concerns during the campaign, Fine retained the solidly Republican seat. Although early voting numbers were sluggish for Fine as of last week, a surge in Republican turnout has since widened the GOP lead to double digits.
