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The Playbook Podcast

April 1, 2025: One seat, two seat; red seat … blue seat?

The Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Daily News, Government, Politics

3.9699 Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The first major electoral tests of the Trump era are here: In two special elections in Florida and a statewide race in Wisconsin, voters will head to the polls and offer the first meaningful glimpse of the prevailing winds heading into the 2026 cycle. In normal times, Republicans would handily win both seats up for grabs in Florida, but as politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin tells host Steven Overly, the Democrats shouldn’t be counted out just yet. We walk through what to watch for and how it’s likely to shape the narrative in Washington in the days ahead.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Presented by BP.

0:05.6

Good morning, everyone. I'm Stephen Overley. It's Tuesday, April 1st, and what's driving the day

0:12.1

could leave Democrats with the last laugh. After grappling with an identity crisis,

0:17.3

since our election defeat in November, polls indicate Democrats could pick up a seat today

0:22.5

on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Liberal judge Susan Crawford is facing off against conservative

0:28.2

Brad Schimel in the election there, an election that has attracted a staggering $100 million

0:34.3

in donations, including millions from Republican benefactor Elon Musk, and wealthy

0:40.7

Dems like George Soros and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

0:45.7

Control of the state's top court hangs in the balance, and both Democrats and Republicans

0:50.8

want the power to decide upcoming cases on abortion, redistricting, and other hot-button issues.

0:58.9

Meanwhile, Florida will hold special elections in two congressional districts.

1:03.6

There's the vacancy created by former Congressman Matt Gates in Florida's first district,

1:09.2

a seat that's likely to go to the state's chief financial

1:11.9

officer, Republican Jimmy Petronus. But it's the race in Florida's sixth that has Republicans

1:18.6

feeling heartburn. That's the seat National Security Advisor and Signal aficionado

1:24.7

Mike Waltz vacated earlier this year. and it's typically a deep red part of the

1:30.5

state, except Republican candidate Randy Fine is facing an unexpectedly competitive challenge from

1:38.6

Democrat Josh Weil. Politico's Politics Bureau Chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin is on the scene in St. Augustine this morning.

1:49.1

J. Mart, good morning, sir.

1:50.7

Good morning. Thanks for having me.

1:52.4

Of course. You're down in Florida, land of predictable politics and uneventful elections, of course.

2:00.0

There are two of those today, two special elections

...

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