The field has been set for the special election to represent Florida’s 6th congressional district. Randy Fine won the Republican primary on Tuesday, with Josh Weil prevailing in the Democratic primary. The district’s previous representative, Michael Waltz, resigned after he was tapped by Donald Trump for a job as National Security Adviser.
The pair will be joined in the April 1st general election by one third party candidate: Libertarian Andrew Parrott. As with most districts, local libertarians have failed to gain competitive momentum in FL-6 but the party represents a valid option for those disillusioned with the two major parties. Randall Terry is also running as a NPA candidate, and Chuck Sheridan is running as an Independent via a write-in campaign according to Ballotpedia.
Florida’s 6th district has been reliably Republican for the last several election cycles, setting up a likely victory for Fine. Still, Weil has demonstrated a more robust campaign infrastructure than any of the district’s other recent Democratic nominees. Fine is presently a state legislator, while Weil is an educator.
Both major party candidates won their primaries relatively handily, though the GOP primary had over twice as many voters participating than the Democratic race. Fine captured 83.0% of the vote on Tuesday, besting fellow Republicans Aaron Baker and Ehsan Joarder. Weil faced only one other Democrat, beating Gus Selmont with 60.8% of the vote.
“G-d saved @realDonaldTrump’s life so he could save the world,” Fine said in a statement to his X account on Tuesday. “And tonight, both of them, powered by my amazing family and all of you who voted for me, put me one step closer to being able to help him do that. I swear I won’t let any of you down.” Fine’s tweet uses the spelling ‘G-d’ instead of ‘God’ in accordance with a custom of reverence practiced by some Orthodox Jews.
“Tonight, our campaign’s victory belongs to the thousands of Floridians who believe we can make things better,” Weil said on his Bluesky account. “I’ve seen firsthand the struggles families across our communities face every day. Whether you’re an Independent, Democrat, or Republican, you’re my neighbor, and I will fight for you.”
Democratic Primary Election
- Ges Geslmont – 39.2% – 6,273
- Josh Weil – 60.8% – 9,713 – ADVANCES TO GENERAL
Republican Primary Election
- Aaron Baker – 14.0% – 5,729
- Randy Fine – 83.0% – 33,883 – ADVANCES TO GENERAL
- Ehsan Joarder – 2.9% – 1,199
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.