Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, answers a question about his House Bill 3-C: Independent Special Districts in the House of Representatives April 20, 2022, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)2025-04-01T04:01:47Z ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) Republican state Sen. Randy Fine won a special election Tuesday to represent Floridas 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil and squashing efforts by national Democrats who spent millions of dollars on the race.Fine had faced growing pressure during the races final days as some Republicans publicly criticized his campaign and fundraising efforts. His victory ends Democratic hopes to score a huge upset in a district that was heavily supportive of President Donald Trump in November. The race to fill the seat vacated by Mike Waltz when he was tapped to become Trumps national security adviser received national attention. Democrats poured money into Weils campaign to outraise Fine by nearly tenfold, attempting to flip a seat where the president won by more than 30 points. Fine, a self-described conservative firebrand, ran with Trumps endorsement. Fines struggles came in the last few weeks as national Republican operatives worried that he needed more money to combat Weils eye-popping $9 million compared to Fines $1 million, which drew national attention from political operatives questioning whether this race would embarrass Republicans less than 100 days into Trumps administration. Yet that wasnt the case for Democrats. For weeks, national leaders have attributed Weils fundraising success to what they characterized as widespread outrage about the Trump administrations overhaul of the federal government. That outrage failed to materialize in large enough numbers to overturn the outcome in the reliably Republican district, foiling Democrats hope to pull off a huge upset that would have buoyed their party.Fine was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and ran each year as a representative until 2024 when he successfully won his election to the Florida Senate. He is known for his support of Israel and his efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. STEPHANY MATAT Matat is an Associated Press general assignment reporter with a focus on politics and South Florida issues. twitter instagram mailto KATE PAYNE Payne writes about state government and education and is based in Tallahassee, FL. She is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto