Gay Valimont has flipped Florida’s Escambia county, which strongly backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Valimont, a Democrat, lost the special election for Florida’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday night to the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate, Jimmy Patronis.
But in Escambia, Valimont leads Patronis by 3 points, with more than 95 percent of votes counted. At the 2024 presidential election, Trump won Escambia by 19 points on a higher voter turnout.
Why It Matters
Despite both Democratic candidates losing their special elections in Florida on Tuesday, the party has suggested that improving on November 2024 results in the strong GOP-friendly areas would suggest they are on track to retake control of the House in the 2026 midterms.
File photo: Democratic candidate Gay Valimont poses for a portrait outside her campaign office in Pensacola, Florida, on March 17, 2025. File photo: Democratic candidate Gay Valimont poses for a portrait outside her campaign office in Pensacola, Florida, on March 17, 2025. Kate Payne/AP photo
What To Know
Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, defeated Valimont in the state’s 1st District special election by 59 percent to 42.
The seat was previously held by Matt Gaetz, the former Florida representative who left office after originally being tapped as Trump’s pick for attorney general. Gaetz defeated Valimont by 30 points in November 2024, and Trump won the district in last year’s presidential election with 68 percent of the vote.
Patronis dominated votes in three of the four counties that make up the 1st district. While still a comprehensive victory overall, Valimont managed to significantly cut into the Republican margins of victory previously enjoyed by GOP candidates.
Valimont also managed to flip the area of Escambia to blue, with the Democrat beating Patronis in the county by 51 percent to 48.
Valimont’s campaign heavily outraised Patronis going into Tuesday’s election. The Democrat brought in nearly $6.4 million from January 9 to March 12, well surpassing the Republican’s $1.1 million during the same period.
In his victory speech, Patronis said Tuesday’s results show that $6 million cannot “overcome one simple post on social media by Donald Trump,” in reference to the endorsement he got from the president.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Republican State Senator Randy Fine defeated Democrat Josh Weil in a special election for Florida’s 6th district, another GOP stronghold.
The seat was formerly held by Michael Waltz, who resigned to become Trump’s national security adviser. Waltz won reelection in November 2024 by 33 points, with Trump defeating then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the district by 30 points.
Like Patronis, Fine’s margin of victory was also heavily reduced from the results five months ago, with the Republican winning by 14 points (56 percent to 42).
What People Are Saying
Gay Valimont in a Tuesday statement: “Today, we conclude a campaign that was built on the belief that every voice matters. While the results were not what we hoped for, I am proud of the journey we’ve taken and the conversations I have had over the last 20 months.
“This is hard, but this is how we change things. It takes time. My opponent now must attempt to represent the people of this district after not having the decency to campaign here or have any policy points he put forth. I plan to attend his first town hall and am interested to hear about his plans for Florida’s First”
Jimmy Patronis in his victory speech: “CD-1 is where the hopes and dreams of the Democratic Party come to die. Let it be known that this election is a reminder that Florida Panhandle will forever be red and it’ll be forever Trump country, and even their $6 million cannot overcome one simple post on social media by Donald Trump.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement: “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 Gay Valimont for her leadership and for once again stepping up to run in a difficult district. Make no mistake: The momentum is on our side. Democrats have overperformed in 15 out of 16 special elections this year. Democrats are going to keep winning races and—ultimately—take back the House next year.”
President Donald Trump posted in Truth Social: “BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE. THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!”
What Happens Next
Patronis and Fine will now be sworn into office, increasing the GOP’s majority in the House to 220 to 213.
