Republican lawmakers secure victories in Florida special elections, while a Democratic-backed judge triumphs in Wisconsin.
U.S. President Donald Trump has faced a mixed outcome in state elections widely seen as an early gauge of his administration’s popularity.
In Florida on Tuesday, Republicans won two special elections for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, strengthening their legislative majority and reinforcing Trump’s ability to advance his domestic agenda without hindrance.
The victories of Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine expanded the Republicans’ majority in the House to 220 lawmakers, compared to the Democrats’ 213.
With most ballots counted late Tuesday, Patronis and Fine, both running in strongly Republican districts, defeated their Democratic challengers, Gay Valimont and Josh Weil, securing more than 56 percent of the vote.
“BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE,” Trump announced on his platform Truth Social.
“THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS’ FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!”
However, in Wisconsin, Trump faced a setback when a Democratic-backed judge was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, despite his cost-cutting czar, Elon Musk, injecting more than $21 million into the campaign of her conservative opponent.
With over 90 percent of votes counted, Susan Crawford comfortably led Brad Schimel with more than 54 percent of the vote.
This result ensures the state’s top court, which oversees crucial federal election-related matters such as voting district boundaries, will maintain its 4-3 liberal majority.
“I gotta tell ya — as a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could’ve imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin,” Crawford, a Circuit Court Judge in Dane County, said in her victory speech, referring to Musk.
“And we won!”
Musk, who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, played a significant role in the race, which became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history.
On Sunday, Musk handed out $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters during a rally aimed at mobilizing support for Schimel, calling the race “important for the future of civilization.”
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