ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) ā RepublicansĀ Jimmy PatronisĀ andĀ Randy FineĀ won special elections Tuesday in two Florida congressional districts, bolstered by President Donald Trumpās endorsement to fill vacant seats in reliably Republican strongholds.
Patronis, the stateās chief financial officer, fended off a challenge from Democrat Gay Valimont even though sheĀ far outraised and outspentĀ him. He will fill the northwest Florida 1st District seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was chosen to be TrumpāsĀ attorney generalĀ but withdrew from consideration amidĀ allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
I honestly do find it surprising that so many people still think Republicans are a viable option. Even in their magat bubbles they must by now be seeing the absolute rot in the party that is Diaper Donnie.
Itās Florida. This was predetermined, but the fact that it wasnāt a landslide is actually significant. Populism gave him the office, populism can take it away. Heās trying desperately to take the power away from the people who put him there and theyāre finally noticing. We can be angry at those people all we want, but it will be far more productive to find a coalition with them than to resent and perpetually admonish them.