TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Florida state Sen. won Tuesday's special election for a vacant congressional seat that the president carried by 30 points less than five months ago.
The Trump-backed Republican had faced mounting pressure from his party in the final days of the campaign after Democrat Josh Weil outraised Fine by a nearly 10-to-1 margin. Democrats outraged by President 鈥檚 second term poured into the campaign for Florida's 6th Congressional District.
The seat after was tapped to be Trump's in what was widely seen then as a move without much political risk.
Here's what to know about Fine:
He's a self-described 鈥榗onservative firebrand鈥�
Fine is known for his socially conservative stances and combative approach to politics. A fierce defender of Israel, he's embraced the nickname "Hebrew Hammer.鈥�
Fine has also backed some of the state's most controversial proposals, cosponsoring a bill restricting how gender and sexuality can be discussed in public schools, a measure that critics labeled the law.
He's clashed with DeSantis
Once an ally of Republican Gov. in the Florida Legislature, Fine publicly turned on the governor to endorse Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign. Since then, Fine has become one of DeSantis' loudest critics in the Capitol 鈥� and the dislike is mutual.
In the week before the April 1 election, the governor said he expected Fine to underperform compared to his and Trump鈥檚 performance in the district, calling it a 鈥渞eflection of the specific candidate running in that race.鈥�
He came under pressure from his own party
Fine's bid for what's considered a reliably conservative district north of Orlando seemed like an easy win a few months ago until national Democrats began pouring millions into Weil's campaign.
Frustrated by Fine's relative lack of fundraising, Republican officials worked to head off the embarrassment of a better-than-expected showing by Democrats in a district Trump carried by 30 points in November.
In the final days of the campaign, the president himself joined Fine by telephone on a tele-town hall.
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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Kate Payne, The Associated Press
