Randy Fine wins District 6 seat in Congress

Republican State Sen. Randy Fine opposed Democrat Josh Weil in the U.S. House of Representatives District 6 special election [Colin Hackley].

Republican State Sen. Randy Fine defeated Democrat Josh Weil in the April 1 special election for the District 6 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Fine, the candidate from Melbourne Beach endorsed by President Donald Trump, will join Congress to fill the vacancy left after the appointment of Michael Waltz as National Security Adviser.

“Today, voters reminded the world that Florida is Trump Country. I won because of (Trump’s) endorsement and his call for voters to send me to be a warrior for his America First agenda,” Fine wrote in a statement after his win.

His opponent, Weil, made strong headway by generating over $9 million in campaign funds despite running in a predominantly Republican district. Fine, on the other hand, raised less than $1 million in funds for his campaign, according to the Federal Elections Commission.

Fine won with over 110,000 votes, in comparison to Weil’s 83,000.

“In my visits to the polls today, I spoke to voters who waited for more than an hour because they wanted the country to know they still stand with President Trump,” Fine wrote. “They are demanding Washington follow his bold leadership to secure our border, demand fair trade, and restore America as a leader on the world stage.”

During a press conference at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on April 2, Gov. Ron DeSantis was critical of Fine and the margins by which he won.

“He’s a squish, okay? He supported restrictions on Second Amendment rights back in 2018. He tried to defeat my immigration proposal to help President Trump enforce immigration laws…” DeSantis told reporters.

DeSantis credited Fine’s win to Trump, saying that without the president’s push for the voters to get to the polls, then Fine likely wouldn’t have been so successful.

“The way he conducts himself, he’s somebody who repels people. He’s repelled people in the legislature. They wanted to get him out of the legislature, so they asked me to put him up for Florida Atlantic University president,” DeSantis said. “I did, and the whole board would have resigned rather than make him president. So now he’s going to be in Congress.”

Fine is one of two Republicans who won their special elections, maintaining the slim majority for Republicans the House of Representatives.

“To President Trump and my new Republican colleagues in Congress—reinforcements are coming. I’m on my way,” Fine wrote.