Florida will hold high-stakes special elections today, with the Republicans fighting to defend their slim 218-214 House majority by winning the two contested congressional seats.
Today's elections hold significant importance given the Republican Party's razor-thin majority – especially after the death of former Texas Representative Sylvester Turner last week.
Although Republicans comfortably secured both seats in the November 2024 elections, recent developments are raising anxiety in the party.
Florida's 6th congressional district special election
Until recently, this was considered a safe seat for the Republicans, with President Donald Trump having won this district by a 30-point margin in the 2024 presidential race. The district is rated as a +14 Republican stronghold.
However, recent political developments in Washington – such as the frustration generated by the federal employee layoffs – have heightened Republican concerns, after the seat was vacated by Mike Waltz to assume his new position as National Security Advisor in the White House.
Competing for the seat are Republican candidate Randy Fine, a Jewish pro-Zionist state senator whose controversial social media comments about the killing of Turkish-American citizen Aysenur Eygi sparked fierce criticism.
His Democratic opponent, Josh Weil, is a progressive mathematics teacher who managed to exceed Fine in fundraising, amassing $9.5 million.
Weil has also received endorsements from celebrities Patti LaBelle and rapper Killer Mike.
Randy Fine: Zionist candidate pushing pro-Israel legislation
Fine, 50, is a Harvard University graduate and a former executive in the gambling industry.
He served in Florida's House of Representatives before joining the state Senate in 2016.
Since then, he has been a vocal supporter of pro-Israel legislation, for example, pushing for amendments to the state's anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) law to prohibit all municipalities from purchasing products from companies or organisations that boycott Israel.
He also supported a bill on antisemitism codifying the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition - which classifies most forms of anti-Zionism as antisemitic – into state law.
Josh Weil: Member of the Islamic Centre of Orlando who converted to Islam in 2011
Weil, 40, first ran for office in the 2021 US Senate primaries.
He converted to Islam in 2011 after marrying a Muslim woman in 2010 and moving with her to Florida.
He spoke about his faith during a primary debate in January explaining that he had started visiting mosques and engaging with local Muslim groups to support his wife after they moved.
"The more time we spent in mosques, the deeper my appreciation grew for the beauty of Islam and the message of the Quran," he said.
He took the Shahada (Islamic declaration of faith) in 2011 and said since then being part of the Islamic Centre of Orlando has allowed him to serve the community through educational outreach.
Fine has labelled his Democratic opponent "Jihad Josh Weil" and accused him of supporting Islamic terrorism, even calling for his arrest.
Florida's 1st congressional district special election
Florida's other special election is for the seat vacated by Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick for Attorney General, who then resigned after being convicted of ethical misconduct, despite having won the district five times, most recently in November 2024.
The Trump-backed Republican candidate is Jimmy Patronis, a former state legislator and Florida's Chief Financial Officer.
His Democratic opponent is Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist who ran against Gaetz in 2024 but lost 36% to 66%. The district is considered a +19 Republican stronghold.
Last week, former President Trump withdrew his nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik for US Ambassador to the UN due to uncertainty over the outcomes of today's elections.
He is believed to fear that leaving her congressional seat vacant for several months could jeopardise the Republican legislative agenda in the narrowly controlled House, where the Republicans currently hold just a three-seat majority.
This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition
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