Gay valimont race
Republican Jimmy Patronis wins Florida's 1st congressional district race, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont
ORLANDO, Fla. - Republican Jimmy Patronis won a unique election Tuesday in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, securing a seat in the reliably Republican Panhandle with the backing of former President Donald Trump.
What we know:
Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, overcome Democrat Gay Valimont despite being significantly outspent. The seat became vacant after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, initially selected as Trump’s attorney general, withdrew from consideration amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
In Florida’s 6th Congressional District, Republican state Sen. Randy Fine also secured victory against Democrat Josh Weil, though by a much smaller margin than expected. The district, historically a Republican stronghold, saw an unusually competitive race fueled by heavy Democratic spending and voter enthusiasm.
What we don't know:
While Patronis and Fine both emerged victorious, questions remain about whether the narrowing margins in these races show a broader political change. It is unclear
Valimont and Patronis face off in special election
Voters in Florida’s 1st Congressional District will head to the polls next week to elect a new representative accompanying last year's resignation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz. The race, which has drawn national attention, pits Democrat Same-sex attracted Valimont, a gun reform activist and veterans’ advocate, against Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s outgoing principal financial officer and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump.
With Florida’s 1st District being one of the most Republican-leaning in the country, Patronis enters the race as the presumptive favorite. Trump carried the district by more than 35 points in 2024. Valimont, meanwhile, won just 34% of the vote in her last bid for the seat when she challenged Gaetz during the regular election cycle that same year.
Still, her focus on veterans’ issues and sturdy grassroots fundraising acquire introduced a level of Democratic engagement that has drawn attention to the race.
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Democrats
April 1, 2025
Following tonight’s election results in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, where Democratic Gay Valimont had the best act from a Democrat in Florida’s 1st Congressional District this century, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:
“Congratulations to Gay Valimont on running a strong campaign that will make a difference for Florida’s 1st Congressional District for years to come. Her substantial overperformance in a Trump +37 district is the foremost performance for Democrats in the district this century and spells trouble for Republicans everywhere. Valimont made critical inroads in this deeply red district and showed Republicans that, even in a place Trump won by nearly 40 points, this seat would not be handed to them. I thank Queer Valimont for her leadership and for once again stepping up to race in a hard district. Make no mistake: The momentum is on our side. Democrats hold overperformed in 15 out of 16 special elections this year. Democrats are going to retain winning races and – ultimately – take back the House next year.”
Democrat Gay Valimont is the latest Democrat to overperform in a special election in 2025. Ea
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz easily won another term in the U.S. House representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, with the Fort Walton Beach Republican defeating Democrat Gay Valimont in the deep red district.
Shortly after polls closed in the Florida Panhandle, Gaetz up with more than 66% of the vote over of Valimont with early and most vote-by-mail votes counted.
Gaetz, for his part, had expressed confidence voters wanted him in office despite years of tension with House leaders and years of personal scandals.
He remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, whose leaders in June said they were looking into accusations of sexual misconduct, drug use and the potential granting of favors to romantic interests.
But Gaetz has been under scrutiny for personal accusations for a long time. Last year, federal prosecutors informed he would face no criminal charges related to a two-year sex trafficking investigation stemming from a probe of former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg’s litany of crimes.
Marred by controversy and scandal while frequently irritating even Republican leaders in the House, Valimont said it’s a matter of time before