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Seven takeaways from the elections in Wisconsin and Florida

Seven takeaways from the elections in Wisconsin and Florida
RESULTS COME IN. AND JUST MINUTES AGO, BRAD SCHIMEL CONCEDING TO SUSAN CRAWFORD A RACE WATCHED ALL ACROSS THE NATION DRAWING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN SPENDING. LET鈥橲 GET RIGHT TO 12 NEWS POLITICAL DIRECTOR MATT SMITH WITH THOSE NUMBERS TONIGHT, GUYS. AN INCREDIBLY EARLY NIGHT. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLING THIS RACE FOR SUSAN CRAWFORD. AND THIS IS A REASON WHY SUSAN CRAWFORD, WITH 55% OF THE VOTE, A TEN POINT LEAD WITH 82% REPORTING STATEWIDE, SHE鈥橲 184,000 VOTE LEAD ACROSS THE STATE, 100 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS PUMPED INTO THIS CAMPAIGN. LIBERAL DONORS GEORGE SOROS, ILLINOIS GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER BACKING SUSAN CRAWFORD, REPUBLICANS ELON MUSK, PRESIDENT TRUMP POURING MILLIONS, BACKING BRAD SCHIMEL. LET鈥橲 TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE CRITICAL COUNTIES. AND THIS IS HOW THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLED IT. AND THIS IS HOW SUSAN CRAWFORD WON TONIGHT IN HER HOME COUNTY OF DANE COUNTY. MADISON, THE DEMOCRATIC STRONGHOLD, SUSAN CRAWFORD PULLING AWAY WITH 81% OF THE VOTE. THAT NEARLY MATCHES WHAT JANET PROTASEVICH DID TWO YEARS AGO WITH 82% IN WAUKESHA COUNTY, THE KEY REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLD, BRAD SCHIMEL, WITH 58%. HE NEEDED TO DO 60% OR HIGHER IN WAUKESHA COUNTY TO REALLY HAVE A PERFORMANCE ACROSS THE STATE. OTHER KEY PARTS OF THE STATE TONIGHT THAT WE鈥橰E WATCHING, NORTHEAST WISCONSIN, THAT WAS A CRITICAL PART THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WON. AND JANET PROTASIEWICZ WON TWO YEARS AGO. WHEN WE LOOK AT WINNEBAGO COUNTY, HOME TO OSHKOSH, AND OTHER CITIES LIKE THAT, SUSAN CRAWFORD LEADING THERE, 53 TO 47 SCHIMEL REALLY NEEDED TO WIN THAT COUNTY. OTHER COUNTIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN, OZAKI COUNTY, ONCE A REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLD, DEMOCRATS SEEING SOME GAINS IN THAT COUNTY. BRAD SHERMAN, WITH A 53 TO 47% LEAD WITH 69%, REPORTING THE NOTICES THAT GAP. BRAD SCHIMEL, JUST AHEAD BY SOME 2000. AND LET鈥橲 BRING IT HOME TO MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT WITH SUSAN CRAWFORD WITH 73% OF THE VOTE, WITH 72% REPORTING STILL ABSENTEE BALLOTS OUT. THAT THOUGH, ONLY IS GOING TO ADD MAYBE ABOUT 30,000 TO SUSAN CRAWFORD. THERE鈥橲 ABOUT 50,000 VOTES THAT ARE BEING COUNTED STILL TONIGHT, AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATEWIDE PICTURE, WITH 82% IN AT 1004 TONIGHT, SUSAN CRAWFORD WITH A TEN POINT LEAD, SOMETHING NEITHER OF THESE CAMPAIGNS SAW COMING IN TERMS OF JUST THE SHEER NUMBERS, THE 184,000 LEAD ACROSS THE STATE. GUYS, THERE鈥橲 GOING TO BE A LOT OF TALK IN THE COMING DAYS ABOUT WHAT ALL THIS MEANS, WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE STATE SUPREME COURT, WHAT IT MEANS FOR NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, THE REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ELON MUSK. BUT AS FOR TONIGHT, WISCONSIN VOTERS, IT APPEARS COMING OUT IN RECORD NUMBERS, TURNOUT ACROSS THE STATE IN RED COUNTIES AND BLUE COUNTIES ALL UP FOR SPRING ELECTION. ABSOLUTELY. AND EARLIER THIS EVENING, WE HEARD JUSTICE ELECT SUSAN CRAWFORD THANK LIBERAL JUSTICE ANN WALSH BRADLEY AS SH
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Seven takeaways from the elections in Wisconsin and Florida
Wisconsin voters on Tuesday delivered Democrats their biggest boost since President Donald Trump returned to power, handing liberals a state Supreme Court majority and defying Elon Musk鈥檚 record-shattering effort to bolster a conservative Trump acolyte.Liberal Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel, winning a 10-year term and retaining the 4-3 liberal Supreme Court majority in a state bitterly divided between a Democratic governor and Republican legislature, where the nominally nonpartisan high court has often functioned as a third, tie-breaking partisan body.The race was an early 鈥� but useful 鈥� gut check of the electorate in one of the nation鈥檚 marquee swing states more than two months into Trump鈥檚 second presidency.Crawford鈥檚 win also fits into a broader picture of Democratic gains in the small number of contests held since Trump took office. Republicans on Tuesday held onto two House seats in ruby-red Florida districts, but saw the huge margins they鈥檇 won there in November shrink significantly. A week earlier, a Democratic candidate scored an upset win in a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in a stretch of Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities.The biggest elections remaining on 2025鈥檚 calendar come in November, when Virginia and New Jersey elect new governors.Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday鈥檚 elections in Wisconsin and Florida:Wisconsin rebuffs TrumpStakes were already high, with control over the Supreme Court in a critical presidential battleground on the line in Wisconsin.Neither were on the ballot, but Badger State voters were weighing in on Trump (who won Wisconsin in 2016, lost it in 2020 and won it again in 2024, all by slim margins), Musk, and their performance so far.Video below: Susan Crawford: 'Our courts are not for sale'But the race took on national significance when Trump endorsed Schimel, the conservative candidate, and Musk 鈥� the tech billionaire-turned-White House adviser 鈥� poured tens of millions of dollars into the race and traveled to the state himself.鈥淚 never could have imagined that I鈥檇 be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won,鈥� Crawford said at her victory party.The outcome is certain to bolster the spirits of Democrats who are out of power and ideologically splintered after November鈥檚 losses. It鈥檚 also an ominous sign for Republicans who are entering a midterm election cycle without Trump on the ballot, and one that comes before the effects of Trump鈥檚 management of the economy 鈥� including tariffs 鈥� are fully felt.Musk鈥檚 millionsAided by Musk鈥檚 millions 鈥� along with infusions of cash from billionaires of both parties 鈥� the Wisconsin race quickly became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history as both parties wrestled for control of the court鈥檚 majority in a key swing state.But Wisconsin voters voted against Schimel, the candidate preferred by Trump and Musk.Crawford and her allies worked to turn the election in a referendum on Trump and Musk, in particular. The tech billionaire, together with aligned groups, pumped some $20 million into the race and thrust himself into the center of the election with an appearance 鈥� complete with a foam cheesehead 鈥� at Sunday rally in Green Bay that Schimel himself skipped.Trump endorsed Schimel in the final weeks of the campaigns, but did not stump on his behalf, and the result underscored the challenge Republicans faced in persuading voters who backed the president less than five months ago to turn out again for a judicial election in which he was not on the ballot.鈥淭here鈥檚 about 200,000 voters who voted for Donald Trump last November, who just historically don鈥檛 vote in spring elections,鈥� Scott Walker, the state鈥檚 former Republican governor, said on CNN after the race was called for Crawford Tuesday night.With Crawford鈥檚 win, liberals will retain their 4-3 advantage on the high court and have final say on key issues looming before the justices, ranging from abortion to voting rules 鈥� and potentially 鈥� redrawing congressional maps that currently give Republicans in the state 6 out of 8 House seats.Musk鈥檚 high-profile gamble 鈥� and loss 鈥� in Wisconsin raises questions about the effectiveness of his money and brand moving forward as he works to help Republicans next year attempt to buck the trend of the president鈥檚 party losing ground in the midterms.The Tesla CEO has previously committed to send $100 million to support Trump-controlled political groups, a source familiar with the plans confirmed. And he recently donated directly to a clutch of House GOP members who have voiced support for impeaching judges who thwart Trump鈥檚 executive moves.Democrats involved in House races say Musk鈥檚 role 鈥� and the controversy surrounding his effort to slash federal spending as part of the Trump administration鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency 鈥� will remain a focus in elections ahead. (Some ads from pro-Crawford groups featured images of Musk wielding a chainsaw this year at a gathering of conservative activists and sought to tie him to cuts to programs that benefit the poor and elderly.)鈥淗e鈥檚 good foil,鈥� a Democratic strategist involved in House races said of Musk. 鈥淭rump is a good foil in many ways, but at the end of the day, a lot of people voted for Trump. Nobody voted for Elon Musk and especially the outsized role he has played.鈥漌isconsin adds voter ID to state constitutionA GOP-backed referendum to enshrine Wisconsin鈥檚 voter ID requirement in the state Constitution passed overwhelmingly Tuesday, even as voters kept the state Supreme Court in liberals鈥� hands.Wisconsin voters have been required to present a photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot or voting in person since 2011. But Tuesday鈥檚 referendum will make it harder for any future Democratic majority in the state to repeal those laws and protect the requirement from legal challenges.Supporters of voter ID laws argue that they prevent fraud and maintain trust in election integrity. Opponents say they make it harder for some 鈥� especially low income and disabled voters 鈥� to cast ballots and have been used to disenfranchise people. Democrats urged voters to oppose the measure, as did nearly two dozen civil rights groups, including the Wisconsin chapters of the ACLU and the League of Women Voters.But despite the opposition, voter ID laws are popular in the state. A February Marquette University Law School poll found that 73% of Wisconsin voters supported adding the voter ID requirement to the state Constitution.Wisconsin proves it鈥檚 a purple stateSchimel鈥檚 loss is an embarrassment for Trump 鈥� and an even costlier one for Musk. But it鈥檚 too soon to say what it means for Wisconsin鈥檚 political future.For years, Wisconsin Democrats have worked to claw their way back to power after being hammered by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. In recent years, those efforts have started to bear fruit.Two years after Trump broke the Blue Wall in 2016, Democrat Tony Evers defeated Walker in 2018. President Joe Biden won the state in 2020, Evers won re-election in 2022 and liberals won control of the state Supreme Court in 2023.Flipping the state Supreme Court sent shockwaves through the state and led to new maps that allowed Democrats to flip a handful of state legislative seats last year. But it did not preview a blue wave in the state in 2024: though Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin won re-election, Trump narrowly won the state by about 30,000 votes.In other words: Wisconsin rejected Trump and Musk Tuesday, but it is still a purple state.Even Tuesday鈥檚 vote hinted at the nuanced political views in the state. Crawford鈥檚 victory, in the face of millions in spending by Musk and Trump鈥檚 endorsement of her opponent, came courtesy of the same voters who enshrined voter ID in the state Constitution.One thing is clear: Republicans will need to rely on more than Trump鈥檚 support and Musk鈥檚 money to succeed in the state in 2026.GOP鈥檚 growing marginsFor House Speaker Mike Johnson, wins by Republicans Jimmy Patronis in Florida鈥檚 1st District and Randy Fine in the 6th District mean more breathing room to advance Trump鈥檚 agenda.Video below: Randy Fine wins Florida District 6 special electionJohnson鈥檚 House majority is so slim that Trump was forced to pull his nomination of New York Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to avoid a special election in a solidly red district.鈥淲e have a slim margin. We don鈥檛 want to take any chances. We don鈥檛 want to experiment,鈥� Trump said last week.Losses in Florida would have ignited full-blown panic on Capitol Hill 鈥� and made Johnson鈥檚 task of keeping together an ideologically fractured caucus even more difficult.The GOP averted that potential disaster. But the smaller-than-expected margins during Tuesday night鈥檚 special elections could still leave congressional Republicans nervous, and are likely to serve as a wake-up call for those representing even nominally competitive districts.Democratic overperformance in FloridaAlthough Republicans won both special elections in Florida and shored up their party鈥檚 narrow majority in the House, the races grew more competitive than expected in the stretch to election day with the Democrats raising significant sums.And Tuesday鈥檚 results offered some warning signs for the party. In districts Trump won by at least 30 points less than five months ago, both Democratic contenders cut those margins by roughly half, early results show.Fine, in Florida鈥檚 6th District, won by fewer than 14 percentage points after being outraised 10-to-1 by his Democratic opponent Josh Weil, a teacher.鈥淐ongratulations Randy, a great WIN against a massive CASH AVALANCHE,鈥� Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Tuesday night.For GOP incumbents in battleground seats seeking reelection next year, the narrow margins in these deep-red Florida districts could serve as a potential warning sign of a tough midterm environment if Democrats are able to sustain their enthusiasm in opposition to Trump, Musk and the Republican agenda.Trumpification of FloridaA year after his public and contentious civil war with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came to an end, Trump once again made clear who controls the GOP in his home state.Trump dictated the outcome of the Republican races to replace Gaetz and Waltz with his endorsement 鈥� elevating two candidates in Patronis and Fine who had loose ties to the districts they were tapped to represent. No matter, both sailed to victory in their primaries. Despite the closer-than-expected outcomes Tuesday, he now has two loyalists in Congress who owe their ascension almost entirely to Trump.DeSantis, meanwhile, declined to endorse both Trump-backed nominees, didn鈥檛 lift a finger to help the GOP maintain its majority and trashed Fine as an objectionable candidate just as Republican panic over the race was reaching a crescendo.Fine and Patronis will now migrate to Washington where Trump has orchestrated a Florida takeover of federal government by leaning on Republicans who two years ago backed the president over their home state governor during the Republican presidential primary. His chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is a former DeSantis operative as is top White House political adviser James Blair. Trump named Waltz his National Security Adviser and the state鈥檚 ex-Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state. When the nomination for Panhandle Republican Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice faltered, Trump turned to Florida鈥檚 former attorney general, Pam Bondi. Some of Trump鈥檚 top fundraisers are Sunshine State lobbyists who are leveraging their connections to sign up a roster of clients looking to sway the new administration.Publicly, Trump and DeSantis remain on solid terms. But the latest touchstone in their ongoing rivalry comes as the president is already looking to leave his mark on next year鈥檚 gubernatorial race in Florida. Trump made an early endorsement of Rep. Byron Donalds even as DeSantis鈥� wife, Casey DeSantis, has taken steps toward her own race to succeed her husband.Tuesday鈥檚 results make clear Trump鈥檚 brand remains strong with the state鈥檚 base. Republicans credited Trump鈥檚 late involvement for the surge of support for Fine on Election Day that ultimately carried him over the finish line. So did the Democrat.鈥淭he President of the United States had to break into his schedule,鈥� Weil said, 鈥渢o drag (Fine) across the finish line.鈥�

Wisconsin voters on Tuesday delivered Democrats their biggest boost since President Donald Trump returned to power, handing liberals a state Supreme Court majority and defying Elon Musk鈥檚 record-shattering effort to bolster a conservative Trump acolyte.

Liberal Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel, winning a 10-year term and retaining the 4-3 liberal Supreme Court majority in a state bitterly divided between a Democratic governor and Republican legislature, where the nominally nonpartisan high court has often functioned as a third, tie-breaking partisan body.

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The race was an early 鈥� but useful 鈥� gut check of the electorate in one of the nation鈥檚 marquee swing states more than two months into Trump鈥檚 second presidency.

Crawford鈥檚 win also fits into a broader picture of Democratic gains in the small number of contests held since Trump took office. Republicans on Tuesday held onto two House seats in ruby-red Florida districts, but saw the huge margins they鈥檇 won there in November shrink significantly. A week earlier, a Democratic candidate scored an upset win in a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in a stretch of Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities.

The biggest elections remaining on 2025鈥檚 calendar come in November, when Virginia and New Jersey elect new governors.

Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday鈥檚 elections in Wisconsin and Florida:

Wisconsin rebuffs Trump

Stakes were already high, with control over the Supreme Court in a critical presidential battleground on the line in Wisconsin.

Neither were on the ballot, but Badger State voters were weighing in on Trump (who won Wisconsin in 2016, lost it in 2020 and won it again in 2024, all by slim margins), Musk, and their performance so far.

Video below: Susan Crawford: 'Our courts are not for sale'

But the race took on national significance when Trump endorsed Schimel, the conservative candidate, and Musk 鈥� the tech billionaire-turned-White House adviser 鈥� poured tens of millions of dollars into the race and traveled to the state himself.

鈥淚 never could have imagined that I鈥檇 be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won,鈥� Crawford said at her victory party.

The outcome is certain to bolster the spirits of Democrats who are out of power and ideologically splintered after November鈥檚 losses. It鈥檚 also an ominous sign for Republicans who are entering a midterm election cycle without Trump on the ballot, and one that comes before the effects of Trump鈥檚 management of the economy 鈥� including tariffs 鈥� are fully felt.

Musk鈥檚 millions

Aided by Musk鈥檚 millions 鈥� along with infusions of cash from billionaires of both parties 鈥� the Wisconsin race quickly became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history as both parties wrestled for control of the court鈥檚 majority in a key swing state.

But Wisconsin voters voted against Schimel, the candidate preferred by Trump and Musk.

Crawford and her allies worked to turn the election in a referendum on Trump and Musk, in particular. The tech billionaire, together with aligned groups, pumped some $20 million into the race and thrust himself into the center of the election with an appearance 鈥� complete with a foam cheesehead 鈥� at Sunday rally in Green Bay that Schimel himself skipped.

Trump endorsed Schimel in the final weeks of the campaigns, but did not stump on his behalf, and the result underscored the challenge Republicans faced in persuading voters who backed the president less than five months ago to turn out again for a judicial election in which he was not on the ballot.

鈥淭here鈥檚 about 200,000 voters who voted for Donald Trump last November, who just historically don鈥檛 vote in spring elections,鈥� Scott Walker, the state鈥檚 former Republican governor, said on CNN after the race was called for Crawford Tuesday night.

With Crawford鈥檚 win, liberals will retain their 4-3 advantage on the high court and have final say on key issues looming before the justices, ranging from abortion to voting rules 鈥� and potentially 鈥� redrawing congressional maps that currently give Republicans in the state 6 out of 8 House seats.

Musk鈥檚 high-profile gamble 鈥� and loss 鈥� in Wisconsin raises questions about the effectiveness of his money and brand moving forward as he works to help Republicans next year attempt to buck the trend of the president鈥檚 party losing ground in the midterms.

The Tesla CEO has previously committed to send $100 million to support Trump-controlled political groups, a source familiar with the plans confirmed. And he recently donated directly to a clutch of House GOP members who have voiced support for impeaching judges who thwart Trump鈥檚 executive moves.

Democrats involved in House races say Musk鈥檚 role 鈥� and the controversy surrounding his effort to slash federal spending as part of the Trump administration鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency 鈥� will remain a focus in elections ahead. (Some ads from pro-Crawford groups featured images of Musk wielding a chainsaw this year at a gathering of conservative activists and sought to tie him to cuts to programs that benefit the poor and elderly.)

鈥淗e鈥檚 good foil,鈥� a Democratic strategist involved in House races said of Musk. 鈥淭rump is a good foil in many ways, but at the end of the day, a lot of people voted for Trump. Nobody voted for Elon Musk and especially the outsized role he has played.鈥�

Wisconsin adds voter ID to state constitution

A GOP-backed referendum to enshrine Wisconsin鈥檚 voter ID requirement in the state Constitution passed overwhelmingly Tuesday, even as voters kept the state Supreme Court in liberals鈥� hands.

Wisconsin voters have been required to present a photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot or voting in person since 2011. But Tuesday鈥檚 referendum will make it harder for any future Democratic majority in the state to repeal those laws and protect the requirement from legal challenges.

Supporters of voter ID laws argue that they prevent fraud and maintain trust in election integrity. Opponents say they make it harder for some 鈥� especially low income and disabled voters 鈥� to cast ballots and have been used to disenfranchise people. Democrats urged voters to oppose the measure, as did nearly two dozen civil rights groups, including the Wisconsin chapters of the ACLU and the League of Women Voters.

But despite the opposition, voter ID laws are popular in the state. A February Marquette University Law School poll found that 73% of Wisconsin voters supported adding the voter ID requirement to the state Constitution.

Wisconsin proves it鈥檚 a purple state

Schimel鈥檚 loss is an embarrassment for Trump 鈥� and an even costlier one for Musk. But it鈥檚 too soon to say what it means for Wisconsin鈥檚 political future.

For years, Wisconsin Democrats have worked to claw their way back to power after being hammered by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. In recent years, those efforts have started to bear fruit.

Two years after Trump broke the Blue Wall in 2016, Democrat Tony Evers defeated Walker in 2018. President Joe Biden won the state in 2020, Evers won re-election in 2022 and liberals won control of the state Supreme Court in 2023.

Flipping the state Supreme Court sent shockwaves through the state and led to new maps that allowed Democrats to flip a handful of state legislative seats last year. But it did not preview a blue wave in the state in 2024: though Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin won re-election, Trump narrowly won the state by about 30,000 votes.

In other words: Wisconsin rejected Trump and Musk Tuesday, but it is still a purple state.

Even Tuesday鈥檚 vote hinted at the nuanced political views in the state. Crawford鈥檚 victory, in the face of millions in spending by Musk and Trump鈥檚 endorsement of her opponent, came courtesy of the same voters who enshrined voter ID in the state Constitution.

One thing is clear: Republicans will need to rely on more than Trump鈥檚 support and Musk鈥檚 money to succeed in the state in 2026.

GOP鈥檚 growing margins

For House Speaker Mike Johnson, wins by Republicans Jimmy Patronis in Florida鈥檚 1st District and Randy Fine in the 6th District mean more breathing room to advance Trump鈥檚 agenda.

Video below: Randy Fine wins Florida District 6 special election

Johnson鈥檚 House majority is so slim that Trump was forced to pull his nomination of New York Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to avoid a special election in a solidly red district.

鈥淲e have a slim margin. We don鈥檛 want to take any chances. We don鈥檛 want to experiment,鈥� Trump said last week.

Losses in Florida would have ignited full-blown panic on Capitol Hill 鈥� and made Johnson鈥檚 task of keeping together an ideologically fractured caucus even more difficult.

The GOP averted that potential disaster. But the smaller-than-expected margins during Tuesday night鈥檚 special elections could still leave congressional Republicans nervous, and are likely to serve as a wake-up call for those representing even nominally competitive districts.

Democratic overperformance in Florida

Although Republicans won both special elections in Florida and shored up their party鈥檚 narrow majority in the House, the races grew more competitive than expected in the stretch to election day with the Democrats raising significant sums.

And Tuesday鈥檚 results offered some warning signs for the party. In districts Trump won by at least 30 points less than five months ago, both Democratic contenders cut those margins by roughly half, early results show.

Fine, in Florida鈥檚 6th District, won by fewer than 14 percentage points after being outraised 10-to-1 by his Democratic opponent Josh Weil, a teacher.

鈥淐ongratulations Randy, a great WIN against a massive CASH AVALANCHE,鈥� Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Tuesday night.

For GOP incumbents in battleground seats seeking reelection next year, the narrow margins in these deep-red Florida districts could serve as a potential warning sign of a tough midterm environment if Democrats are able to sustain their enthusiasm in opposition to Trump, Musk and the Republican agenda.

Trumpification of Florida

A year after his public and contentious civil war with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came to an end, Trump once again made clear who controls the GOP in his home state.

Trump dictated the outcome of the Republican races to replace Gaetz and Waltz with his endorsement 鈥� elevating two candidates in Patronis and Fine who had loose ties to the districts they were tapped to represent. No matter, both sailed to victory in their primaries. Despite the closer-than-expected outcomes Tuesday, he now has two loyalists in Congress who owe their ascension almost entirely to Trump.

DeSantis, meanwhile, declined to endorse both Trump-backed nominees, didn鈥檛 lift a finger to help the GOP maintain its majority and trashed Fine as an objectionable candidate just as Republican panic over the race was reaching a crescendo.

Fine and Patronis will now migrate to Washington where Trump has orchestrated a Florida takeover of federal government by leaning on Republicans who two years ago backed the president over their home state governor during the Republican presidential primary. His chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is a former DeSantis operative as is top White House political adviser James Blair. Trump named Waltz his National Security Adviser and the state鈥檚 ex-Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state. When the nomination for Panhandle Republican Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice faltered, Trump turned to Florida鈥檚 former attorney general, Pam Bondi. Some of Trump鈥檚 top fundraisers are Sunshine State lobbyists who are leveraging their connections to sign up a roster of clients looking to sway the new administration.

Publicly, Trump and DeSantis remain on solid terms. But the latest touchstone in their ongoing rivalry comes as the president is already looking to leave his mark on next year鈥檚 gubernatorial race in Florida. Trump made an early endorsement of Rep. Byron Donalds even as DeSantis鈥� wife, Casey DeSantis, has taken steps toward her own race to succeed her husband.

Tuesday鈥檚 results make clear Trump鈥檚 brand remains strong with the state鈥檚 base. Republicans credited Trump鈥檚 late involvement for the surge of support for Fine on Election Day that ultimately carried him over the finish line. So did the Democrat.

鈥淭he President of the United States had to break into his schedule,鈥� Weil said, 鈥渢o drag (Fine) across the finish line.鈥�