Voters in Florida’s first and sixth congressional districts and in Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race are voting in elections that could decide or influence the balance of power in the United States.
In Florida, two congressional seats vacated by former Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Mike Waltz (R-FL) –Gaetz is now a host at One America News Network (OANN) and Waltz is now President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser–are holding elections to fill the vacancies. In the first, Gaetz’s old seat, Republican Jimmy Patronis seems set to cruise to victory. In the sixth, Waltz’s old seat, Republican Randy Fine is having a much more difficult go of things, at least according to the establishment media and polls. Trump won both districts by huge numbers–the sixth by 30 percent–in November, so any slippage from those will be something political prognosticators look to for signs about the future of U.S. politics to see if trends begin to emerge.
Up in Wisconsin, conservative Brad Schimel faces off against liberal Susan Crawford for the state Supreme Court. This race could have major national implications on not just important issues like transgenderism, immigration, and election integrity, but also could quite literally decide the balance of power in the U.S. Congress because Crawford has promised to rewrite U.S. congressional districts in Wisconsin in a way that gerrymanders them to help Democrats win elections they otherwise have been unable to win.
Trump has endorsed Schimel in Wisconsin, just like he backed Fine and Patronis in Florida, so it’s likely that no matter the outcome, the legacy and establishment media will attempt to read the results in both states as an early referendum on the president.
The polls close on the east coast of Florida at 7:00 p.m. ET, in the panhandle at 8:00 p.m. ET, and in Wisconsin at 9:00 p.m. ET. Follow along on Breitbart News for live breaking news and analysis as the results come in.
UPDATE 8:04 p.m. ET:
With 13 percent in now in Florida’s first district, Republican Jimmy Patronis has a sizeable lead to open the count. With 56.3 percent, Patronis leads Democrat Gay Valimont’s 42.8 percent by nearly 3,000 votes.
UPDATE 8:00 p.m. ET:
Polls are closing now over in the first district, the old Gaetz seat, and results are expected there imminently. Meanwhile, in the sixth district, Fine has extended his lead into double digits now as he leads by more than 10 percent with 88 percent reporting. There is still some space for Fine to expand this a little bit more as well.
UPDATE 7:55 p.m. ET:
Dave Wasserman from the Cook Political Report is picking up on this trend as well, which is the lower turnout among Republicans is a big reason why this race was closer than this district was in November:
UPDATE 7:37 p.m. ET:
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole congratulated Fine on his victory.
“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Randy Fine on his victory in Florida’s 6th Congressional District,” O’Toole said. “As a third-generation Floridian, self-made businessman, and as a State Representative and State Senator, Randy has a proven record of delivering results for his community. No one is better positioned to take up the mantle for Florida families, small business owners, and workers.”
UPDATE 7:32 p.m. ET:
The AP and CNN just called the election for Fine as well:
A totally embarrassing moment for the Democrats, who bet it all in Northeast Florida and came up short.
UPDATE 7:26 p.m. ET:
While it’s official that Fine has won, he’s now continuing to expand his victory. Per the New York Times, with 72 percent reporting, he now leads by more than 8 percent. Most of the counties–all except one–are red now too.
UPDATE 7:24 p.m. ET:
Republican Randy Fine has won the election in Florida’s sixth congressional district, per Decision Desk HQ.
The fact that the call was made this quickly is terrible news for Democrats.
UPDATE 7:21 p.m. ET:
Meanwhile, on the U.S. Senate floor, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) just broke the record for the longest floor speech in U.S. Senate history, breaking a record previously held by the late Sen. Strom Thurmond.
UPDATE 7:16 pm. ET:
CNN has 58 percent reporting and has Fine’s lead at more than 7,000 votes now, 52.8 percent to 46.4 percent. If this keeps expanding this rapidly, this might not be the story the establishment media was hoping for.
UPDATE 7:15 p.m. ET:
Now, with 52 percent reporting according to the New York Times, Fine has expanded his lead to just under 3,000 votes–he is at 51 percent to Weil’s 48.2 percent.
UPDATE 7:12 p.m. ET:
Florida results are coming in in the sixth district now, and Democrat Josh Weil is trailing Republican Randy Fine by 2 percent with 49 percent reporting, after Weil had an early lead quickly. But Fine seems to be pulling ahead now.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/04/01/election-night-livewire-florida-special-congressional-races-wisconsin-supreme-court-race-to-decide-balance-of-power/
