No congressional district in Florida boasts a stronger track record of Republican support than Florida’s 1st Congressional District. However, as one of the first Special Elections for Congress since President Donald Trump’s 2024 win, Democrats poured millions into the Panhandle contest. Will it make a difference?

In a Tuesday Special Election, Democrat Gay Valimont faces Republican Jimmy Patronis in a race to decide who succeeds former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

In November, Valimont lost to Gaetz by 36 percentage points, as the district broke for Trump by 38 points. But this time, she has raised upward of $6.5 million, while Patronis has reported more than $2 million in contributions. Democrats hope to beat historic trends and send Valimont to Congress or at least to send a message to Washington about discontent within the electorate, even in Trump country.

“In Congress, I will show Florida’s 1st District what it looks like when the government truly works for the people and our needs,” Valimont said at a recent campaign event.

Patronis, for his part, remains confident the values of Panhandle voters will translate into election results. On the eve of the election, he told Florida Politics that voters in CD 1 want to empower Trump’s agenda, not cripple it.

“These are the same folks that less than six months ago overwhelmingly voted to elect President Donald J. Trump to the White House,” Patronis said. “They were fed up the last four years. They were fed up with the inflation crisis. They were fed up with being poor. They wanted a government that was responsible to the people, and this is why they showed up the way they did. So you know, they’re going to expect government that’s going to be effective and responsive to their needs. This is what they’re going to get with me.”

Patronis has served most of the last decade as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, a post he had to resign from as of Monday to run for the U.S. House. Valimont has been involved in politics as an activist, including working for Moms Demand Action to find ways to curb gun violence.

Heading into Election Day, Democrats have turned out a higher percentage of their voters than Republicans. As of Monday morning, elections officials had received 11,611 mail-in ballots from Democrats across the district, slightly more than the 11,527 already turned in by Republicans. Another 3,756 ballots came in from voters not registered with either party.

But in-person early voting is a different story. Over two weeks, 31,875 Republicans took advantage of the opportunity to cast ballots in select locations, almost double the 16,430 Democrats who did the same. Another 7,893 voters also used early voting.

Heading into the April 1 Special Election, Republicans had a greater than 18-point advantage in raw turnout. Party officials expect that to increase, as many Republicans still favor voting at the polls on Election Day.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried plans to canvas in Pensacola this morning for a last-minute drive to turn out voters for Valimont. Rapper 2 Chainz even held a free concert in Pensacola on Saturday to encourage early voting.

However, Republicans have also stepped up efforts to turn out Patronis voters. Trump, who endorsed Patronis before entering the race, held a tele-rally for the Panama City Republican this weekend. Republican Party of Florida Executive Director Bill Helmich said party volunteers made 200,000 phone calls in this race and another Special Election being held today.

“Obviously we want as many Republicans as possible voting,” he said. “Unless a lot of Republicans are voting against Mr. Patronis, which I doubt, he is fine.”

Florida Democratic Party Deputy Communications Manager Matt Dailey said that, between the two congressional elections in Florida on Tuesday, “Our whole staff is working one way or another.”

Privately, Democrats acknowledge an uphill battle for Valimont even with her cash advantage. But Valimont’s campaign sees a path to victory if she can turn out a high number of Democrats, win most independent voters, and convince enough Republicans that it is time for change. Efforts by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to gut defense spending have provided a strong message in a district where military spending keeps many households afloat.

“I will work to lower the cost of living, reduce homeowners’ insurance costs, protect Social Security and Medicare, and bring a VA hospital to our district,” Valimont said on social media. “I’m a mom and community advocate who will always put Northwest Florida first. I love this place. Every corner of this district reminds me of my family. My opponent is the CFO of Florida, the man responsible for Florida’s insurance crisis. He also doesn’t live in our district.”

But Patronis also feels voters know they are getting with him, and that’s a strong public servant. He twice carried this district in statewide races for his Cabinet post and expects to do so again on Tuesday.

“Jimmy Patronis is not a show horse. He’s a workhorse,” Patronis said of himself. “And you know, I really enjoy working. I’m the guy that likes to get to the office an hour before I’m supposed to be there, and I like to stay about an hour after I’m supposed to already leave. So I’m signing up for work. I’m signing up for my new job, and hopefully, I will get it with the people’s trust on Tuesday night.”

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A series of political dominoes led to Republican voters in House District 32 having a Primary on Tuesday. Republicans Terry Cronin, Brian Hodgers and Bob White are all running to succeed outgoing Rep. Debbie Mayfield, a candidate for Senate.

The race has seen each candidate spend upward of six figures, which has contributed to an often-personal battle of personalities.

The most financial support has gone to Hodgers, owner of Complete Choice Insurance and Complete Choice Realty. A leader of the Brevard County Trump Club, he said his business background will help Florida develop policy and handle its current growth patterns.

“With Florida’s great success, we’ve begun to experience some challenges associated with rapid population growth, rising housing and insurance costs, and pressure on our natural resources,” he said on his website.

“I believe we can deal with those challenges successfully without raising taxes, increasing the size and scope of government, or creating draconian regulations. Together, by maintaining our commitment to freedom and conservative principles, we will keep Florida affordable, safe, and prosperous for all.”

Hodgers spent nearly $180,000 through March 27, and still had more than $160,000 in cash at that point to spend in the final days before the Primary. All of that has come via outside donations.

Cronin, a dermatologist, also has owned a business in the region for years, Cronin Skin Cancer Center. He hopes to bring health care policy expertise to the House.

“As a physician, I’ve witnessed the challenges our community faces with healthcare access firsthand,” he writes on his website. “I’m not just a doctor; I’m a husband, father, and conservative who understands the importance of family, faith, and freedom. Let me be your advocate in Tallahassee to bring real change to our healthcare system and champion the values we hold dear here in Brevard.”

Cronin actually spent the most to date, burning through more than $292,000 ahead of the Primary, after putting $235,000 out of pocket into the race through a candidate loan. He has also been the most aggressive about attacking opponents for past transgressions in their lives.

White, meanwhile, has long been politically active with the Republican Liberty Caucus, both in Brevard County and at the state level. He also ran for Governor in 2018 He spent a modest $141,000 on the race as of March 27. Much of that was fueled from his own money after he put down a $110,000 loan to back up his candidacy.

“He has advanced policies that safeguard individual freedoms, limit government overreach, and empower communities. His leadership has inspired grassroots movements across the state that focus on putting We The People first,” his website reads.

The winner of the Republican Primary will advance to a Special General Election on June 10, where he will face Juan Hinojosa, the Democrat whom Mayfield defeated in November.

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April is National Donate Life Month, raising awareness for life-saving organ donations. And just in time, the group Donate Life Florida is announcing Florida’s first-ever statewide organ donor registration initiative, which could help the more than 5,000 Floridians awaiting life-saving transplants.

The campaign seeks to measurably boost the number of Sunshine State residents who become registered donors of organs, tissues and eyes.

The campaign will target a diverse audience, including those in historically under-registered groups. Fewer than 2 in 5 Florida drivers have elected to become organ donors when they receive or renew a driver’s license.

“Life is such a precious gift, and organ, tissue, and eye donation are such a selfless way to share that gift to extend and enhance the lives of others,” Donate Life Florida Chair Patricia Darrigan said. “Too many Floridians are dying while waiting for a transplant. Signing up takes just a moment — but that one moment can change so many lives and extend the legacy of every donor.”

One person could save up to eight lives through organ donation while healing dozens more, according to Donate Life. What’s more, tissue donors can enhance the lives of more than 75 people. Corneal transplants from eye donors, meanwhile, can restore the gift of sight.

“I literally would not be here today if not for the generous organ donation of a young woman whose life ended far too soon,” said Kris Vanni of the Brevard County community of Scottsmoor, who received a new liver when Tallahassee resident Aimee Sachs died following a massive stroke on May 31, 2023.

“If not for Aimee’s incredible gift, my husband would be raising our sons by himself, and I would not be able to watch them grow. That’s the difference organ donation can make — giving life to others and saving families, too.”

Vanni is one of three individuals whose lives were extended and enhanced by receiving organs from Aimee Sachs. Her dad, lobbyist Ron Sachs, said his daughter’s final act of kindness was the bravest thing his family had ever witnessed.

Ron Sachs and his family have given a private donation to endow the campaign’s launch, and he is urging others to also contribute.

Aimee Sachs, a journalist who was just 38 years old when she died, is featured in a moving public service announcement for Donate Life Florida. It shows her alive and vibrant in the hospital following a stroke, singing passionately along to Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.

But as the video reminds, Aimee Sachs suffered a massive stroke just days later, leaving her completely paralyzed with no ability to communicate other than to blink her eyes. Still conscious, she made the choice to donate life.

“The greatest gift any of us can give is to make that personal commitment to be a donor, and the best way to enhance your own life’s legacy is to donate life to others,” said Ron Sachs, Chair Emeritus of Sachs Media in Tallahassee. “We hope Aimee’s inspiring story, and those of so many other donors and recipients, will widen the universe of people who choose to leave a gift of life.”

It’s free to become an organ donor, and becoming one won’t affect medical care or funeral arrangements. Donate Florida, a nonprofit organization, is authorized by the state to manage the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry as the state’s official organ, tissue and eye donor registry.

The group reminds anyone who may be on the fence about becoming an organ donor that it is a way to help a neighbor. Most organs have a limited period of viability, meaning recipients are likely to be in close geographic proximity. And it’s easy to register, with an online option at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org, or when applying for or renewing a driver’s license, auto tag or state identification card.

“Florida simply doesn’t have enough registered organ donors to keep up with the need,” Darrigan said. “We’re not just talking about numbers — we are talking about sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, neighbors, friends, and colleagues whose lives hang in the balance.”

The issue hits home for many, including former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, whose husband, John, was an organ donor.

“John was so meaningful to everyone who knew him. He was the love of my life. He was a guiding light for our girls. He was a transformational leader for our community. And in the end, his tragedy gave life to others,” Passidomo said.

John Passidomo passed away last April after a fall while hiking with his wife in Utah.

Currently, fewer than 40% of Floridians have signed on as organ donors when obtaining or renewing their driver’s license at a Tax Collector’s Office last year. That means a staggering more than 60% of Floridians, on average last year, missed the opportunity to save a life should tragedy befall them.

“My life today is full of things I once feared I’d never experience again: time with my family, laughter with friends, simple moments that now feel extraordinary. All of that is possible because one person said yes,” said Tyrone Brisby of Jacksonville, who received a new heart from 14-year-old Tennessee donor Kyle Rodger in 2014.

“The goal of this campaign is to get registrations up to at least 50%, so more people will get to enjoy a second chance, the way I did.”

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