Republican lawmakers secure special election wins in Florida, while a judge backed by Democrats triumphs in Wisconsin.
President Donald Trump has received a mixed evaluation in state elections, which were widely viewed as an early indicator of his administration’s popularity.
On Tuesday, Republicans in Florida claimed victory in two special elections for seats in the US House of Representatives, strengthening their legislative majority and enhancing Trump’s capacity to advance his domestic agenda without hindrance.
The wins by Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine increased the Republican majority in the House to 220 seats, while Democrats hold 213.
As most ballots were counted late on Tuesday, both Patronis and Fine, who campaigned in predominantly Republican districts, secured over 56 percent of the votes against their Democratic opponents, Gay Valimont and Josh Weil.
“BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE,” Trump posted 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 as a Democrat-endorsed judge won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, despite significant financial backing from his cost-cutting czar, Elon Musk, who invested over $21 million in the campaign for her conservative opponent.
With over 90 percent of votes counted, Susan Crawford held a comfortable lead over Brad Schimel, garnering more than 54 percent of the votes.
This outcome means that the state’s highest court, responsible for crucial decisions regarding federal election issues such as voting district boundaries, will maintain its 4-3 liberal majority.
“I have to say — as a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could’ve imagined I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin,” Crawford, a Circuit Court Judge in Dane County, declared in her victory speech, referencing Musk.
“And we won!”
Musk, who heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, played a significant role in the contest, which became the most expensive judicial race in US history.
On Sunday, Musk distributed $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters during a rally aimed at rallying support for Schimel in what he described as an “important matter for the future of civilization.”
