DNC Chair Ken Martin to campaign for Josh Weil ahead of CD 6 Special Election

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin will campaign in Northeast Florida for congressional candidate Josh Weil.

The national party leader will stump in Florida alongside Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried days ahead of a Special Election on Tuesday in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. They will campaign in Daytona Beach on Saturday and in St. Augustine on Sunday.

Florida will hold Special Elections there and in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, marking the first time since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House that voters can send a message in federal elections.

“When Chair Martin was elected, he committed to investing in the South and organizing everywhere and that’s what he’s doing. With their support, we have beefed up our organizing team and rolled out a voter protection program with over 200 poll watchers ready to be deployed on Election Day,” Fried said.

“Right now, there is unprecedented enthusiasm for Democratic candidates across the country. Anything can happen in a special election and we’ve seen Democrats overperform recently. National Democrats understand that and recognize the opportunity Florida Democrats have to weaken the already fragile House majority. That’s why we will be out campaigning together this weekend in Congressional District 6 to chase down every last vote and leave it all out on the field. I’m grateful for Chair Martin’s partnership and ongoing commitment to Democrats in the state of Florida.”

Weil faces Republican Randy Fine, a state Senator, in the CD 6 contest to replace former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz. In CD 1, Democrat Gay Valimont faces Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, in the race to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

In both elections, Trump has endorsed the Republican candidates, and voter registration and past performance suggest the GOP candidates are favorites in both races.

But Democrats have raised millions in small-dollar donations from Democrats across the nation looking to send a message to the administration.

That’s especially notable in CD 6, where Weil said he has raised around $10 million and Fine as of early March reported less than $1 million in fundraising. Both candidates have also been supported by outside spending as well.

A Florida Politics-commissioned poll suggests that has helped Weil close a gap in the Special Election. The St. Pete Polls survey shows Fine winning just over 48% of the vote, while Weil receives just over 44%, a gap within the poll’s 5-percentage-point margin of error.

The arrival of the national leader for the Democratic Party signals the high stakes of the race, which comes while Republicans hold just a 218-213 majority over Democrats in the U.S. House.

Martin was elected as the Chair of the DNC in February. The Tuesday Special Election marks the first congressional election since that time.