Democratic congressional candidates Gay Valimont and Josh Weil are facing tough battles in special elections for strongly Republican House districts in Florida on April 1. Despite raising an impressive $15.7 million combined in just two months, they are up against significant challenges.
Valimont, a gun control activist running in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, raised nearly $6.4 million from Jan. 9 to March 12, far surpassing Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer. Meanwhile, Weil, a teacher running in the 6th District, raised $9.3 million, a considerable amount compared to Republican state Sen. Randy Fine.
Although the substantial donations from grassroots Democratic supporters show an ongoing enthusiasm, the districts heavily favor the GOP. President Donald Trump won the 1st District by 37 points and the 6th District by 30 points in the last election.
Despite the high fundraising numbers, Democrats are considered underdogs in these races, with little attention from political parties and outside groups until recently. The special elections aim to fill the seats left vacant by former GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz, who both won by significant margins in the past.
Trump has endorsed the Republican nominees in these races, as the party seeks to strengthen its majority in the House. Recent reports show that the Democrats have outspent their GOP opponents, with Valimont and Weil having substantial amounts left in their campaign accounts.
While the Republican Party of Florida and outside groups have started investing in ads for the GOP candidates, the Democratic National Committee has announced support for the Florida Democratic Party to boost their organizing efforts.
