Who is Randy Fine? Florida state senator replaces Mike Waltz after GOP concern about his campaign

By KATE PAYNE
Associated Press/Report for America

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida state Sen. Randy Fine 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 Donald Trump ’s second term poured millions of dollars into the campaign for Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

The seat opened up after Mike Waltz was tapped to be Trump’s national security adviser 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 ‘conservative firebrand’

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.”

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 “Don’t Say Gay” law.

He’s clashed with DeSantis

Once an ally of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis 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 — 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’s performance in the district, calling it a “reflection of the specific candidate running in that race.”

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. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.