Charles Gambaro has $215K to challenge Randy Fine but wants something more valuable: Donald Trump’s endorsement

A Republican Primary challenger to U.S. Rep. Randy Fine nearly matched the incumbent’s quarterly fundraising numbers. Now, Charles Gambaro is seeking an even bigger spark: President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Gambaro, a Palm Coast City Council member who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserve, reported more than $215,000 in fundraising after launching his campaign for Congress on July 17. By comparison, Fine raised more than $223,000 from July through September.

Fine, an Atlantic Coast Republican, enjoyed Trump’s endorsement this year when he ran in, and won, the Special Election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, now the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

But Gambaro, a veteran of Trump’s first administration, said Fine underperformed first as a candidate and now as a Congressman.

“He’s on thin ice with the President, and (White House Chief of Staff) Susie Wiles is probably done with him,” Gambaro told Florida Politics. “It’s just indicators we are getting from inside the circle. I would say it’s not just Trump’s White House that has taken a hard look at this.”

Gambaro said the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) dropped Fine from its website listing endorsed candidates. Notably, AIPAC pushed back on April reporting that it had dumped Fine after endorsing him in the Special Election. The group said it will announce Midterm endorsements in the future, as Fine was elected partway into the legislative term.

Speculation rose over controversial remarks Fine made, most notably a comment during the Israel-Hamas conflict when he posted on X seemingly endorsing a strategy of starving Palestinians. “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away,” Fine posted in July.

Fine’s fundraising reports show that five days before that remark, he received a $1,000 check from AIPAC, but has reported no money from the group since.

“How is the ‘Hebrew Hammer’ not being endorsed by AIPAC? If AIPAC is not going to support, you think the President is? I don’t.” Gambaro said.

Fine’s campaign brushed off the fundraising number. The incumbent reported more than $393,000 in cash on hand at the end of September, compared to Gambaro’s $193,000. Gambaro’s fundraising notably includes $157,000 in candidate loans, more than half his total haul. Fine’s campaign still reports a $350,000 debt that predates the quarter.

Still, the numbers for those two Republicans figures outpace the rest of the GOP field. That includes Will Furry, who closed the period with $25,000 cash, and Aaron Baker, who wrapped September with under $2,000 in the bank.

As far as a desire for Trump’s endorsement goes, Gambaro notes the role he played in the last administration, when he helped craft the administration’s “Stay in Mexico” border policy as a senior advisor to Ricky Waddell, then Assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair. Gambaro also worked closely with Rodney Scott, now the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and with Christopher Miller, who served as Defense Secretary at the end of Trump’s first term.

Those connections show Gambaro is “not a stranger” in Trump world, motivating his belief that an endorsement is not out of the question.

Meanwhile, Gambaro said Fine has been an embarrassment to the district, and may even pose a security risk. The incumbent’s controversial rhetoric has made him a top target of Hamas, Gambaro said, which makes it difficult for parties to even host the Congressman for speaking events.

Moreover, Gambaro suggests that focus on Israel’s needs ahead of those of the U.S. show Fine is no “America First” candidate, and said the incumbent is out of touch with the concerns of constituents in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

“For our member of Congress not to be easily available or approachable to the residents that they’re representing is a nonstarter,” Gambaro said. “The guy lives two hours south of the most southern part of our district. He doesn’t know the community. He doesn’t spend time here. He doesn’t care to spend time here.”