ICYMI: The Special Florida Congressional Race Is Close

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🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

Florida holds a special election tomorrow for a House seat that has long been solidly red. Now? Maybe a bit less so.

Former Congressman Mike Waltz gave up his seat in the 6th Congressional District – the area around Daytona Beach – to accept the post of President Donald Trump's national security advisor. In line to win his vacant seat tomorrow is Trump-backed Randy Fine, a state senator.

But in recent days polls have been too close for comfort for many Republicans. Fine's Democratic opponent, math teacher Josh Weil, has raised $10 million for his campaign. Fine has brought in just $1 million.

We discuss what we could learn from tomorrow's results.

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0:30.2	You're listening to the 1A podcast.
0:33.3	And this is in case you missed it,
0:35.5	where we bring you some of the week's biggest conversations you might have missed.
0:39.3	Voters are getting a chance to react to the early months of the Trump administration tomorrow.
0:44.0	That's as Florida holds special elections for two house seats.
0:47.5	President Trump won those solidly red districts by more than 30 points in November.
0:52.2	But as Democrats put millions into flipping those seats, Republicans are getting nervous.
0:57.0	One clear sign of that?
0:58.5	Trump was sending his offer to New York Representative Elise DeFonick to join his cabinet.
1:03.4	That would have set up a special election for her seat.
1:06.3	Here's President Trump on Friday explaining that decision.
1:09.2	I said, Lisa, would you do me a favor? We cannot take a
1:13.2	chance. We have a slim margin. We don't want to take any chances. We don't want to experiment.
1:18.7	That margin is indeed slim. Republicans currently have 218 seats in the House to Democrats 213, and there are
1:26.5	four vacancies. In Florida, former Congressman Mike Waltz gave up his seat in the House to Democrats 213, and there are four vacancies. In Florida, former Congressman
1:29.5	Mike Waltz gave up his seat in the 6th congressional district, that's the area around Daytona Beach,
1:34.9	to accept the post of President Trump's National Security Advisor. In line to win that spot tomorrow is
	...

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