National and Florida Democrats coordinate fresh investment in CD 1, CD 6 Special Elections

Gay Valimont. Josh Weil.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has announced fresh investments and a coordinated campaign for Special Elections in two Florida congressional districts.

The DNC investment will allow the Florida Democratic Party to hire and assign full-time organizers and staffers to mobilize voters ahead of the April 1 elections in Florida’s 1st and 6th Congressional Districts. The DNC did not disclose a dollar amount for the investment, but said it will allow for 200 poll watchers and poll greeters to be deployed on Election Day in the two districts.

“I ran for DNC Chair on a platform to compete in elections everywhere — in all 57 states and territories and across all 3,244 counties,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin. “This investment into the Florida congressional special elections is exactly the type of work we must do to build power on the ground and make clear to voters that there are no off years when the stakes for the American people are so high.”

The investment notably comes after Democrat Josh Weil told Florida Politics that he raised more than $10 million in CD 6. He faces Republican Randy Fine, a state Senator, in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz.

Additionally, Democrat Gay Valimont told the Pensacola News-Journal she raised $6.7 million to run in CD 1. She faces Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, in a contest to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Both Democrats face uphill battles in Republican-leaning districts. As of the March 3 closing of voter rolls, CD 6 had more than 273,000 Republicans registered and eligible to vote in the April 1 Special Election, compared to just over 142,000 Democrats. Another more than 143,000 voters are registered without party affiliation or with minor parties.

In CD 1,  the margin is even more daunting for Democrats, with around 312,000 Republicans registered compared to fewer than 119,000 Democrats and about 136,000 other voters.

But national Democrats said it was important for the party to fight across the country, and the Florida Special Elections mark an early opportunity in President Donald Trump’s term for voters to express outrage.

“The best way to beat back against billionaire greed is by organizing everywhere,” Martin said.

“Americans across this country don’t like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and cowardly Republicans ripping away health care coverage in order to give billionaires more tax breaks. There’s a reason Democrats have overperformed in 11 out of the 12 special elections so far this year. In red, blue, and purple America, voters want a change — including in Florida 1 and Florida 6.”

The race also has added significance due to a tight party breakdown in the U.S. House, where Republicans currently enjoy just a 218-213 majority over Democrats.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said Florida Democrats can send a statement in Special Elections only made possible because Trump tapped House members for administration jobs despite the small GOP House majority.

“Florida Democrats are not going to let Trump’s hand-picked candidates walk into office without a fight,” Fried said. “Republicans are nervous, and with this investment, we will enter the final weeks of this race with the momentum we need to ramp up our organizing efforts when it counts the most. With strong fundraising numbers and a sophisticated field operation, Florida Democrats are gearing up to give Gay Valimont (CD-1) and Josh Weil (CD-6) the best shot at flipping these seats to chip away at the Republicans’ narrow House majority and stop Trump in his tracks.

“These could be the biggest upset elections of the year.”