Did gay valimont win
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 advancing 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.
What To Know
Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, beaten 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 characteristic 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 wi
Gay Valimont tells supporters she's raised $6.7 million to flip Matt Gaetz seat blue
This story was updated with a new location for Valimont's March 20 town hall.
Gay Valimont announced her congressional campaign had raised $6.7 million as she aims to flip a deeply red seat blue in the distinct election on April 1.
Valimont made the announcement on Friday, speaking to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 150 people at a town hall at the Pensacola Yacht Club.
“We have raised $6.7 million, and I used to hate it when I would go see a candidate speak, and they tell me how much money they raised,” Valimont said. “… And absolutely, I believe that cash should be out of politics, but Jimmy Patronis started this race with $10 million in his pocket, and we understand that if he figures out that we're about to destroy him, he's going to spend that money. And it's satisfactory because we're ready.”
Valimont is the Democratic Party nominee for Florida's 1st Congressional District seat and is facing Republican Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis in a special election on April 1 to fill the seat vacated by Matt Gaetz.
A Democrat has not won an election to the seat since 1992, but Valimont told supporters
Democrats
April 1, 2025
Following tonight’s election results in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, where Democratic Gay Valimont had the best performance 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 monumental overperformance in a Trump +37 district is the best 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 express gratitude Gay Valimont for her leadership and for once again stepping up to run in a hard district. Make no mistake: The momentum is on our side. Democrats own 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.”
Democrat Homosexual Valimont is the latest Democrat to overperform in a special election in 2025. Ea
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, conquered 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 demonstrate a broader political alter. It is unclear
.