2025 Florida's 1st congressional district special election
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Florida's 1st congressional district | |||||||||||||||||
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 County results Patronis: 60–70% 70–80% Valimont: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
The 2025 Florida's 1st congressional district special election was held on April 1, 2025, to fill a vacant seat in Florida's 1st congressional district previously occupied by Matt Gaetz, who resigned on November 13, 2024, after president-elect Donald Trump nominated him for attorney general of the United States.[2] Gaetz later withdrew his nomination for attorney general on November 21.[3] The following day, Gaetz announced he would not return to Congress. He had been reelected for a sixth term earlier in the month, but declined to take his seat. It is considered a safe Republican district.
The election was held alongside a concurrent special election for Florida's 6th congressional district. The race was called for Patronis almost immediately after polls closed.[4] Despite Patronis' victory, Democrats claimed a significant improvement in this election, overperforming their 2024 result by 17.4 percentage points[5] and flipping Escambia County, Valimont's home county and the home to Pensacola. Valimont became the first Democrat running for this district to win the county since Earl Hutto in 1992.[6] This is the strongest Democratic performance in this district during the 21st century, and was largely attributed to the tendency of Democrats to turn out in much higher rates than Republicans during special elections,[7] although it was significantly less competitive than national Democrats had hoped considering Valimont's massive fundraising advantage.[8]
District profile
[edit]The 1st district takes in the westernmost area of the Florida panhandle, encompassing Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties, as well as about half of Walton County. A significant portion of the district's population are servicemen and women of the U.S. military, due in large part to the Naval Air Station near Pensacola and the nearby commuter towns of Navarre and Fort Walton Beach.
The district was given a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+19 in 2022, making it the most Republican district in Florida.[9] In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump won the district with 68.1%, while then-incumbent Gaetz was re-elected with 66.0% of the vote in 2024.[10]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Jimmy Patronis, former chief financial officer of Florida (2017–2025)[11]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Aaron Dimmock, director for leadership programs at the University of West Florida's AWKO Center for Leadership and candidate for this district in 2024[12]
- Kevin Gaffney, teacher[13]
- Jeff Macey, software engineer[12]
- Greg Merk, pilot and candidate for this district in 2020 and 2022[13]
- John Mills, businessman and candidate for this district in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022[12]
- Jeff Peacock, former policy director for U.S. representative Lee Zeldin[12]
- Joel Rudman, former state representative from the 3rd district (2022–2025)[14]
- Michael Dylan Thompson, attorney[15]
- Gene Valentino, former Escambia County commissioner[16]
Withdrawn
[edit]- John Frankman, former Green Beret (endorsed Patronis)[17]
- Keith Gross, former assistant state attorney for Florida's 18th circuit court and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 (endorsed Patronis)[17]
- Nathan Nelson, former director of military affairs for Matt Gaetz (endorsed Patronis)[18]
- Michelle Salzman, state representative from the 1st district (2020–present) (endorsed Patronis)[19]
- Jeff Witt, pilot (endorsed Patronis)[20]
Declined
[edit]- Alex Andrade, state representative from the 2nd district (2018–present)[21]
- Doug Broxson, former state senator from the 1st district (2016–2024)[22]
- Don Gaetz, state senator from the 1st district (2006–2016, 2024–present), former president of the Florida Senate (2012–2014), and father of Matt Gaetz[23]
- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative from this district (2017–2024)[24]
- Bernadette Pittman, construction company CEO (endorsed Rudman)[25]
- D. C. Reeves, Mayor of Pensacola (2022–present)[21]
- Frank White, former state representative from the 2nd district (2016–2018) (endorsed Patronis)[26]
Endorsements
[edit]Jimmy Patronis
- Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th and 47th president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[27]
- U.S. representatives
- Mike Johnson, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (2023–present) from Louisiana's 4th congressional district (2017–present)[28]
- State legislators
- Michelle Salzman, state representative from the 1st district (2020–present)[19]
- Frank White, former state representative from the 2nd district (2016–2018)[26]
- County sheriffs
- Eric Aden, Okaloosa County (2021–present)[29]
- Michael Adkinson Jr., Walton County (2009–present)[29]
- Bob Johnson, Santa Rosa County (2017–present)[29]
- Chip Simmons, Escambia County (2021–present)[29]
- Organizations
Gene Valentino
- Executive branch officials
- Tom Homan, former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2017–2018)[31]
Jeff Witt (withdrawn)
- Executive branch officials
- Robert Wilkie, former U.S. secretary of veterans affairs (2018–2021)[32]
- Individuals
- Stanley Clarke, former director of the Air National Guard[32]
Declined to endorse
- U.S. representatives
- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative from this district (2017–2024)[33]
- State legislators
- Don Gaetz, state senator from the 1st district (2006–2016, 2024–present), former president of the Florida Senate (2012–2014), and father of Matt Gaetz[33]
Results
[edit]
Patronis
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jimmy Patronis | 33,742 | 65.7 | |
| Republican | Joel Rudman | 5,099 | 9.9 | |
| Republican | Aaron Dimmock | 3,423 | 6.7 | |
| Republican | Gene Valentino | 3,093 | 6.0 | |
| Republican | Michael Dylan Thompson | 2,548 | 5.0 | |
| Republican | Greg Merk | 1,287 | 2.5 | |
| Republican | Jeff Peacock | 743 | 1.4 | |
| Republican | Kevin Gaffney | 634 | 1.2 | |
| Republican | John Mills | 574 | 1.1 | |
| Republican | Jeff Macey | 187 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 51,330 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Gay Valimont, athletic trainer and nominee for this district in 2024[35]
Endorsements
[edit]Gay Valimont
- Organizations
Others
[edit]Independents
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Stephen Broden, pastor, Constitution Party nominee for vice president in 2024, and Republican nominee for Texas's 30th congressional district in 2010[12]
Write-in candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Richard Paul Dembinsky, engineer and perennial candidate[12]
- Stanley Gray, retiree[12]
- Jonathan Green, mediator[12]
- Stan McDaniels, landscaping contractor[12]
General election
[edit]Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of March 12, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Jimmy Patronis (R) | $2,126,409[a] | $1,311,824 | $814,585 |
| Gay Valimont (D) | $6,484,474 | $4,315,536 | $2,177,181 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[37] | |||
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jimmy Patronis | 97,335 | 56.91% | −9.12% | |
| Democratic | Gay Valimont | 72,304 | 42.28% | +8.31% | |
| Independent | Stephen Broden | 1,382 | 0.81% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 171,021 | 100% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
See also
[edit]- 2025 United States House of Representatives elections
- List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
Notes
[edit]- ^ $12,000 of this total was self-funded by Patronis
References
[edit]- ^ "Special Election set to replace Matt Gaetz". Florida Politics. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Beavers, Olivia; Carney, Jordain (November 13, 2024). "Gaetz resigns from Congress". Politico. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Breuninger, Kevin (November 21, 2024). "Trump AG pick Matt Gaetz says he's withdrawing". CNBC. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "Republicans and Trump sweep Florida special elections with Patronis win". Newsweek. April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ Allen, Greg. "GOP retains two House seats in Florida, as Democrats claim 'historic' improvement". NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ "Democrats lost both Florida special elections. But one Trump stronghold flipped blue". firstcoastnews.com. April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ Marcus, Ilana; Zhang, Christine; Lemonides, Alex (March 28, 2025). "Tracking Each Party's Turnout for Tuesday's Special House Elections". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (April 2, 2025). "Jimmy Patronis coasts to victory in CD 1 Special Election, fending off deluge of Democrat dollars". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "2024 General Election November 5, 2024 Official Election Results". Florida Election Watch. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 25, 2024). "Jimmy Patronis officially resigns as Chief Financial Officer". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Field Of 16 Candidates Set In Special Election To Replace Matt Gaetz. Here's The List". NorthEscambia. December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Little, Jim (November 26, 2024). "Special election to replace Matt Gaetz taking shape, with more than dozen candidates". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rudman announces intention to join congressional race, resigns as state representative". WEAR-TV. November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Saul, Christopher (November 20, 2024). "Matt Gaetz Resigned… Now What? How We Elect A New Representative". Mid Bay News. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 23, 2024). "Gene Valentino announces campaign to succeed Matt Gaetz". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Cooper, Amber Jo (November 25, 2024). "Multiple candidates drop out after Patronis lands Trump endorsement". Florida's Voice. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Irwin Taylor, Janelle (November 27, 2024). "Nathan Nelson becomes the fourth candidate to drop CD 1 bid after Donald Trump endorsement for Jimmy Patronis". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Little, Jim (November 25, 2024). "Michelle Salzman drops out after Trump backs Jimmy Patronis to fill Matt Gaetz's seat". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (December 3, 2024). "Jeff Witt becomes fifth CD 1 candidate to drop out and endorse Jimmy Patronis". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Little, Jim (November 14, 2024). "Campaign to replace Matt Gaetz in Congress starting to take shape". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 21, 2024). "Doug Broxson won't run to succeed Matt Gaetz in Congress". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Strickland, T.S. (November 15, 2024). "Gaetz resignation sparks political shake-up in Northwest Florida". WUWF. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Emily (November 22, 2024). "Gaetz says he will not return to Congress". The Hill. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Joel (December 5, 2024). "Joel Rudman qualifies in CD 1, lands Bernadette Pittman endorsement". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Strickland, T.S. (November 25, 2024). "Niceville fighter pilot Jeff Witt seeks Matt Gaetz's former congressional seat". WUWF. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
Former Rep. Frank White, who'd also been discussed as a possible successor to Gaetz, had already endorsed Patronis last week.
- ^ Jaramillo, Alejandra (November 25, 2024). "Trump endorses Jimmy Patronis to fill Gaetz's seat in the House". CNN. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Joel (December 4, 2024). "Mike Johnson endorses Jimmy Patronis to succeed Matt Gaetz in Congress". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Ogles, Jacob (December 20, 2024). "Sheriffs of CD 1 unanimously support Jimmy Patronis". Florida Politics. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (January 6, 2025). "AFP Action FL puts its influence behind Jimmy Patronis in race to replace Matt Gaetz". Florida Politics. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 26, 2024). "Incoming Border Czar endorses Gene Valentino in CD 1 race". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Ogles, Jacob (November 25, 2024). "Jeff Witt latest veteran to enter fight for Matt Gaetz's congressional seat". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Gancarski, A.G. (November 16, 2024). "Exclusive: Matt Gaetz, Don Gaetz aren't endorsing in CD 1 GOP Primary". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ "Florida First Congressional District Special Primary Election Results". The New York Times. January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 18, 2024). "Gay Valimont announces another CD 1 run days after losing to Matt Gaetz". Florida Politics. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Jevin, Katie (February 23, 2024). "Everytown For Gun Safety Endorses First Round of Moms Demand Action Volunteers, Everytown Leaders Running for Office". Moms Demand Action. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "Florida - House District 06". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites