PENSACOLA, Fla. — In a special election, Florida’s Republican Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, successfully defended his bid for northwest Florida’s 1st Congressional District against Democrat Gay Valimont. This district was notably won by President Donald Trump by a significant margin of approximately 37 points in the previous November election.
Endorsed by Trump, Patronis was deemed the strong favorite for this consistently conservative seat, which became available after former Representative Matt Gaetz was considered for the position of Trump’s attorney general. Gaetz, however, withdrew from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he firmly denied.
Patronis is a recognized figure in Florida’s political arena. His family owns the renowned Capt. Anderson’s restaurant in Panama City, prominently situated along the Gulf of Mexico. His political journey began in college as an intern in the state Senate, leading to his election to the state House in 2006. He was later appointed as the state’s CFO by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2017, holding onto the Cabinet-level position during subsequent elections in 2018 and 2022.
Backed by Trump’s endorsement, Patronis seemingly avoided a more contested Republican primary, despite residing outside the district. Nonetheless, he encountered an unexpectedly formidable opponent in Valimont. The Democratic challenger managed to significantly outpace and outspend Patronis, raising over $6 million in contributions from supporters across all 50 states as per recent campaign finance data.
Valimont targeted key issues such as Trump’s aggressive stance on federal employment and the dismantling of federal agencies, also highlighting Patronis’ connection to Florida’s property insurance crisis. Patronis’ office is integral to the regulation of insurance in a state known for high insurance premiums.
Despite this, the engagement of national Democrats, who had amassed impressive fundraising totals in this conservative stronghold, reflected a growing discontent with the Republican administration’s performance during its second term. Democrats aimed to chip away at the GOP’s stronghold in the district as part of their broader strategy to rally grassroots support and enhance their financial capabilities leading up to the 2026 midterms.
In the campaign’s closing days, President Trump personally participated by joining Patronis in a phone call town hall event, urging voter turnout, describing it as the “all-important” election taking place on April 1.
“The whole country’s actually watching this one,” commented Trump on the significance of the race.