President Donald Trump gains two strong House allies with the swearing-in of Florida special election winners Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine. Both Republicans won their seats Tuesday by double digits, but their margins of victory were tighter than expected in districts Trump had easily carried just five months ago, an underperformance tied in part to a surge in Democratic fundraising fueled by anger at the administration. Hand-picked by Trump to run for the vacancies left by former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, both Florida Republicans centered their campaigns around their support for the president’s agenda. Trump marked their Tuesday night victories in a post on Truth Social, stating, “THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL.” In the 6th District, which includes Daytona Beach, Fine comes to Congress after nearly a decade in the Florida Legislature. He resigned his state Senate seat on Monday ahead of the election. A former tech and gaming company executive, Fine first entered public service with his 2016 election to the Florida House, motivated by frustration with his son’s education. Over his political career, Fine, who is Jewish, has also prioritized countering antisemitism. He attributes much of his worldview to his own experiences growing up in the Bible Belt. Born in Tempe, Ariz., Fine spent most of his childhood in Lexington, Ky., as one of only a handful of Jewish kids in a community where he says discrimination against Jews was common. “It made me understand the way the world worked. I think it made me hard. It made me willing to fight,” Fine said. As a state legislator, he co-sponsored an education bill that critics dubbed the “Don’t say gay” law. A staunch supporter of Israel, Fine drew criticism for a post on X last fall that suggested that Muslim Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., “might consider leaving” before his arrival. “The ‘Hebrew Hammer’ is coming,” he wrote. In Florida’s western Panhandle, 1st District winner Patronis has been a fixture in state politics for nearly two decades. He was twice appointed to the Florida Elections Commission and served in the state House for eight years. During his tenure, he developed a close relationship with Rick Scott, now the state’s senior senator but then a wealthy businessman, and backed Scott’s successful 2010 gubernatorial bid. Scott later appointed Patronis to the Florida Public Service Commission, and in 2017 he elevated him to the position of chief financial officer for the state, to which he was later elected twice. Patronis hails from Panama City, where his family owns “Capt. Anderson’s,” a popular waterfront restaurant. He started working there as a teenager and was an investor for decades. He has linked his government service to his experience in the restaurant business, equating constituents to customers. As state CFO, he likened his role to that of a business manager. “I pay all the bills,” he told News Service of Florida. “I balance the checkbook, sign every paycheck, pay for every invoice, sign every retirement check.” Jackie Wang contributed to this report.
