DeSantis says GOP candidate in Florida special election will underperform

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Tuesday that he expected state Sen. Randy Fine (R) to underperform in the special election for Florida's 6th Congressional District next week. 

"Regardless of the outcome in that, it's going to be a way underperformance from what I won that district by in 2022 and what the president won it by in November," DeSantis told reporters. 

"They're going to try to lay that at the feet of President Trump," he continued. "That is not a reflection of President Trump. It's a reflection of a specific candidate running in that race."

"If President Trump were on the ballot in this special election, he would win by 30 points no question," he said. "It's a candidate-specific issue. I think the district is so overwhelmingly Republican that it's almost impossible for someone with an R by their name to lose that district. So I would anticipate a Republican candidate is still going to be successful. Do I think they will get even close to the margins that I received or president received? No."

"It's a reflection of the candidate that's running in that race," he added. 

Democrat Josh Weil significantly outraised Fine in the race; recent filings show Weil raised nearly $10 million, while Fine brought in $561,000. 

Trump and national security adviser Mike Waltz, who previously represented the district, both won it by more than 30 points in November. 

Fine and DeSantis have a contentious history. Fine became the first Florida lawmaker to switch his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, saying he made the switch because Trump’s actions demonstrated his support for the Jewish community.

DeSantis’s team hit back following Fine’s switch, calling it “political theater.”