Associated Press
Tucked inside a gray cinder block building that doubles as a hair salon, Derrick Scott and Democrats in the westernmost part of the Florida Panhandle spent the last four months trying to pull off the improbable — flipping a conservative military stronghold that President Donald Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points in November.
When the results came in late Tuesday, Democrat Gay Valimont had fallen short of winning a congressional seat that few thought she had a chance to claim. But for the first time in almost two decades, a Democrat vying for federal office had carried Escambia County, home to Pensacola — a remarkable outcome in itself. The last time voters in the county backed a Democrat for the U.S. House was in 1992.
“I was gobsmacked to say the least,” said Scott, chair of the Escambia County Democratic Party.
The leftward shift around Pensacola and shrinking margins in the rest of the 1st Congressional District and another on Florida’s Atlantic Coast may foreshadow big challenges ahead for Republicans as they look to next year’s midterm elections. It could also illuminate a path forward for embattled Democrats in Florida and elsewhere.
Republicans, from Trump on down, are quick to tap the brakes on Democrats’ enthusiasm. They note that Trump-endorsed candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine both won their respective special election contests by double-digit margins to replace Matt Gaetz, who the president tapped to be attorney general before he withdrew in a shroud of controversy, and Michael Waltz, who became Trump’s national security adviser.
Still, in less than five months, margins were cut in half from what their predecessors got last November in some of the most conservative corners of the country. Democrats leaned into frustrations among veterans and people who depend on federal programs and may be bearing the brunt of the Trump administration’s aggressive government overhaul. The results may hold lessons for how their party can make the case against the president and his party going forward.
Choosing a well-known face who had made inroads in Pensacola in the past election helped Democrats gain ground in a stretch of the Emerald Coast that is home to thousands of military veterans and their families. So did a decisive fundraising advantage, boosted by support from a political action committee led by a U.S. Navy veteran.
“It is a warning sign for Republicans in Florida and across the country, and it should send shivers down the spine of any Republican,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who said the results were proof her party had a “pulse” in this state that lost its battleground status over the past few years.
Fried noted there are four military bases in or near Pensacola. And in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, about 60% of residents receive benefits through Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.
“Those are the issues that are really going to be waking up the sleepy beast,” she said. “It’s not just Democrats, but Americans understand that the Trump and Elon Musk platform and issues are not going to work.”
The Ehr Force PAC is a play on founder Phil Ehr’s last name and military service. Ehr was already known in Pensacola and, in 2020, took 44% of the vote in this county compared to Gaetz’s 55%. He spent months working with local Democratic officials to call, text and door-knock, asking disengaged voters what would motivate them to come back to the polls. The PAC said there was “a significant number of defections” from the GOP.
“It’s a hard, hard road. But now we’ve seen it can be done,” Ehr said.
Heather Lindsay, the Republican mayor of the city of Milton in neighboring Santa Rosa County, voted for Valimont, the Democrat challenging Patronis.
“It’s not about being loyal to one party or the other,” she explained. “It’s about making sure we have a functioning democracy.”
Lindsay has been critical of the cuts impacting the Department of Veteran Affairs and of elected officials who have said little about some of the Trump administration’s new measures.
“I think the Republican Party ought to look closely at what happened in Escambia County and see why they couldn’t take Escambia County for granted,” she said. “To see Escambia County go blue is something to pay attention to.”
Since the GOP took control of the seat in 1994, Republicans had never dropped below 61% of the share of the vote in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. On Tuesday, Patronis received 57% of the vote, compared to his opponent Valimont, who got 42%.
Sally Dutcher, a 77-year-old retired search and rescue worker in Pensacola, was at the watch party for Patronis Tuesday night, where a wave of nervousness rippled through the crowd as supporters watched early returns come in. She said Republicans were “overconfident” and expects Democrats to point to these results to attract more support heading into the 2026 midterms.
“We’ve got to start now. We can’t let up,” Dutcher said. “They’re not going to. They’re already starting on the next election.”
Another area where Democrats gained ground was in Volusia County, made up of residents in Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and other rural areas further inland. In that county, Fine won by slightly less than 2 percentage points against his Democratic opponent, Josh Weil, after Trump won by 21 percentage points in November.
William Bittorf, of Daytona Beach, said he felt relief when Fine won the race because he feels the Republican president needs more support in Congress to fulfill his agenda.
“I was worried because the Democrats had raised so much money,” Bittorf said.
In the same city, Susan Spencer, a 65-year-old resident, wanted to support a Democrat precisely to stop some of Trump’s actions.
Spencer, an independent voter turned off by the Republican Party after Trump was elected in 2016, stood in line to cast her vote, saying it was a “pivotal time in our government today.”
Spencer suspected most in the line ahead of her would vote for the Republican candidate.
“I just wonder if they also watch the news,” Spencer said.
___
Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
16 comments
Peachy
April 3, 2025 at 4:21 pm
The spin has begun from none other than the AP (Associated Propaganda).
JD
April 3, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Ah, the predictable play: dismiss facts by calling them propaganda. That’s how authoritarian thinking starts, by teaching people to hate the truth.
Why do you hate the truth Peaches and Cream? Is it the helmet?
#ImpeachTrump <– see what I did there?
Peachy
April 3, 2025 at 4:28 pm
Facts are Valimont lost. The Dems pored millions into the race and still lost. How’s that for facts Jack?
JD
April 3, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Did you read the article Helmet? Let’s not forget that in previous elections, the Republican candidate didn’t need to spend much, and Democrats didn’t even think spending would help, but this time, they did. And it worked. The Republican dropped from 55% to 44%, even with matched spending. That’s an 11% swing. That’s not spin, it’s math.
What you’re doing here is trying to dismiss real progress so people give up. Because if there’s one thing authoritarians hate, it’s hope. How about them facts Jack.
Peachy
April 3, 2025 at 4:41 pm
The Dems thought they could spring an upset on 1 and 6. Outspent the Repubs by 10-1. Yet you along with the AP are trying to spin it into a victory. You lost. Comprende?
JD
April 3, 2025 at 4:48 pm
If a district that Trump and DeSantis won by 30 points is now this close, that’s a clear warning sign for the midterms. Even DeSantis has admitted people are angry.
You’re calling it “spin,” but it’s not, it’s called sentiment, and you’re losing it with the public. Again, if not for the gerrymandering and Democratic party roll purge targeting, you’d not be in the position to win jack shitt.
For a group that claims to be winning, you sure don’t know how to govern. Maybe that’s why some people are mad enough to spray paint cars.
Then again, maybe it’s your helmet that’s keeping you from understanding what’s happening.
JD
April 3, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Oh, and Musk poured $25M into Wisconsin and still lost. Don’t forget those facts too. Maybe Ketamin boy / GOP Wallet is starting to feel the effects of drug use.
Peachy
April 3, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Good for you on that one. What about Wisconsin? What about Wisconsin? 😜
JD
April 3, 2025 at 4:49 pm
It’s far far far better than bargin DOW. Helmet. Don’t forget to lick that bird poop off the window.
Hung Wiil
April 3, 2025 at 8:51 pm
This article is stupid and delusional.
Get Real
April 3, 2025 at 6:11 pm
Anyone who thinks the Ds spent 10 times what Rs did in these races is conveniently not looking at the millions spent by numerous R-supporting PACs such as so-called “Defend American Jobs,” and the Republican Party of Florida itself.
JD
April 3, 2025 at 6:29 pm
He’s throwing shade on stuff he either knows is wrong, or he’s brainwashed (every choice is a binary choice it seems). The masses don’t know how to look it up or question it as they have no context. But they have context for the culture war stuff which is why it is used so much.
Hung Wiil
April 3, 2025 at 8:53 pm
Hurray the Democrats won a non-partisan race in Wisconsin. Wow. This is their big comeback
JD
April 3, 2025 at 9:05 pm
Oh look, another special-needs helmet warrior.
Not-So-Hung, mock all you want, but everyone knew exactly what was at stake in those races and where the candidates stood. This wasn’t theater, it was about reproductive rights, stopping gerrymandering, and protecting democratic processes. Even Elon got bounced.
You’re spinning hard. But sure, “Hooray.” Just know it’s a warning flare for the GOP. Just like the imaginary “red wave” of 2022, these wins were squeaked out on your side and only thanks to gerrymandering and purged voter rolls. They should have been BLOW OUTS and instead were BLOW JOBS.
Let’s be real: your side can’t win unless it cheats. Why? Because you’re incompetent. Look at today’s market dip and the rookie-level tariff math. It’s amateur hour.
Thinking of using Signal again? Adorable.
Anyway, don’t forget to be up bright and early to lick bus windows with Peachy and Trump. Your helmet’s by the door, sweetheart.
Hung Wiil
April 4, 2025 at 8:35 am
Get a life tool. Democrats won 86% of special elections in 2023-2024 only to lose control of everything in the general. You’re just wrong about everything again. Don’t be a DOGE bag.
Capt. T
April 4, 2025 at 8:35 am
To answer Susan Spencer, No. We don’t watch the propaganda news. We don’t read the fish wrap Pensacola calls a newspaper. We have better things to do. Pensacola and Escambia county will remain on the right side history and be the Republican stronghold in perpetuity. Woke is dead.DEI is dead.