Republicans won the contest with a narrower margin than their predecessors.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle weigh after Republicans beat a pair of Congressional races in Florida, but poor performance at GOP bases.
Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won the special election race on Tuesday night.
Patronis will replace former Rep. Matt Getz of Florida’s First Congressional District after beating Democrat Gay Valimont.
Fine took over former Congressman Mike Waltz in the 6th Congressional District and defeated Democrat Josh Weil.
The two GOP victories increased the House Republican margin from 220-213.
Republicans won after Democrats poured millions of dollars into two races.
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Fine told reporters he doesn’t think he’s lacking in the race.
“The last time I saw it with 14 points, I won,” he said after the victory. “So I think it’s hard to say it’s low performance.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the race was more of a candidate, not a President Donald Trump referendum, but rather a candidate.
DeSantis suggested that the fines are barely popular among Republican voters as he failed to advance his fines, gun rights and fiscal policy agenda. The president had to support a great last minute to bail him out, DeSantis said.
DeSantis said Trump won the district in 2024. The governor, who previously held a seat in Congress, noted that in 2022 he scored more than 35 points.
“What happened with Randy Fine is exactly what I said. He’s going to win, but he’s not performing well. And that’s what happened,” DeSantis said at a press conference the next day.
The governor said the Republican base was not excited about the newly elected representative.
The next day, Fine, officially sworn by House Speaker Mike Johnson, admitted that Trump helped him win.
Vice President JD Vance said that turnout for GOP voters is a challenge for Republicans in races in special elections and usually attracts smaller voters.
Meanwhile, Trump said the outcome of race was a big victory for the Republicans.
The close race on Tuesday has led some Democrats to express optimism in the mid-term elections next year as Congress.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin warned that Republicans should “stress in 2026” after Weil “performed on a massive scale” in the deep red district where Trump scored 30 points.
They lost in Florida on Tuesday night, but Democrats highlighted their victory in a highly viewed race in Wisconsin.
The party won a major victory after liberal judge Susan Crawford defeated mask-backed conservative candidate Brad Simmell in a competition for the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. Donors to Crawford’s campaign include billionaires George Soros, Reed Hoffman and J.D. Pretzker.
The courts can determine election-related laws and resolve disputes over future election outcomes, which has statewide impact.
The Brennan Center for Justice and Analysis found that the race costs more than $81 million, with tens of millions being spent supporting both sides.
Epoch Times reporter Lawrence Wilson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
