Randy Fine wins special election to U.S. House in Florida’s 6th Congressional District

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Republican Randy Fine has won the special election to U.S. House in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

The contest between Republican Randy Fine and Democrat Josh Weil has drawn national attention and is being viewed by eyes across the nation as a test of President Donald Trump’s first two months in office.

“There’s never been a race quite like this, here in this area,” Volusia County’s Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis said.

“When I was 16 years old I applied and I got picked to be a page for the U.S. House of Representatives,” Fine announced in his victory speech from an election night party in Ormond Beach. “Tomorrow, I’ll get sworn in on that same floor.”

Speaking to reporters after his speech, Fine dismissed any previous concerns about lower expectations for his race.

News 6’s Mike Valente asked Fine if the candidate believed he underperformed Tuesday night.

“I won — last time we looked — by 14 points,” Fine said. “So I think it’s hard to say that’s an underperformance by any stretch of the word.”

Gov.Ron Desantis was among the more prominent Republicans who, in recent days, predicted Fine’s margin of victory would be much narrower than those of President Trump and former Congressman Mike Waltz, each of whom won the district in 2024 by 30 points.

Speaking to conservative radio host Dana Loesch while the polls were still open Tuesday, Desantis said he believed President Trump was given “bad advice” in endorsing Fine.

Valente also asked Fine about those comments.

“I won tonight by the same margin that Gov.Desantis won when he ran for this seat the first time, and no one spent $14 million against him,” Fine said, referencing the large amount of money raised by Fine’s Democratic opponent.

This special election covered Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties, which are traditionally red.

However, Congressional District 6 seems closer than expected and could be crucial to the balance of power in the federal government.

Republicans hold a five-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

However, there are four seats currently vacant. One is CD-6 in Florida, which was held by Mike Waltz, who resigned to become Trump’s national security advisor.

Another is U.S. House District 1, which was held by Matt Gaetz, who resigned in November. A special election is also being held Tuesday for that seat.

The two other seats were held by Democrats in Arizona and Texas who both died in March.

While Democratic wins in all four seats would not give them a majority, it would make it harder for Republicans to pass President Trump’s agenda as they try to wrangle the more moderate elements of the party.

The situation is so precarious that Trump withdrew his nomination of New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as United Nations ambassador because it would have triggered another vacancy for Republicans in the U.S. House.

Weil, and Orlando public school teacher, has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and has raised more than $10 million.

“We have got to protect Social Security. What is happening now in the name of government efficiency is horrendous,” Weil told News 6 reporter Laverne McGee.

Republican Randy Fine has been endorsed by President Trump.

“I’m going to help get Donald Trump get his agenda done. The House majority is very small. And while Donald Trump can sign amazing executive orders, he needs Congress to sign it into law,” Fine said.

Voters also realize how important this race is to the entire country.

“Our neighborhood is kind of mixed. We’ve got some Democrats in there and we’ve got some Republicans, so it’s hard to say. The thing about it is a lot of people need to get off their seats and get in and vote. Some people don’t think this is a very important vote, but it is. It’s as important as the last election,” a voter told News 6.

“I hope everybody gets out and votes because that’s what makes it tick,” another voter said.

“You may see a little bit of a line at your polling station; however, it’s one race on the ballot. It doesn’t take that long to vote; it moves right along,” Lewis said.

In Flagler County, you can find your polling precinct and more on the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections website. All voters in Flagler are eligible for this election.

In Lake County, you can find polling precinct information on the Lake County Supervisor of Elections website. Voters in much of north Lake County are in CD-6.

Marion County voters can find their polling precinct information on the Marion County Supervisor of Elections website. Voters in east Marion County are eligible to vote in this election.

Volusia County voters can find their polling places on the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website. Voters in the northern part of the county are eligible to vote in this election.