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With just over a week until the special election in Florida’s sixth congressional district, concerns are mounting among Republicans who were once confident about securing the seat.
The district, previously represented by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz, heavily favored Donald Trump in the last election, with a 30-point margin. Given this history, the race was expected to be an easy victory for the GOP.
However, according to Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman, “Republicans on the Hill and in [the White House] are getting a bit worried about this seat,” despite its strong Republican leanings.
The growing concern stems from the massive fundraising advantage held by Democratic candidate Josh Weil over his Trump-endorsed Republican opponent, Randy Fine.
“Just a massively stunning cash disparity in FL-6, where there will be a special next week to replace [Waltz],” Sherman wrote on X. “Democrat Josh Weil raised $9M and has $1.2M on hand. Republican Randy Fine raised $987,759 and has $92,693 on hand.”
While Fine remains the favorite to win, the significant financial gap has raised eyebrows among political strategists. The final vote margin could serve as an indicator of broader trends ahead of future special elections, particularly if Democrats manage to significantly close the gap in a district that was once considered a Republican stronghold.
Democratic operatives will be closely analyzing the results to determine if the momentum seen in this race could signal a shift in voter sentiment—one that could influence upcoming elections nationwide.
