Winner projected for Matt Gaetz's vacated house seat in Florida special election

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has been projected the winner in the special election to replace embattled former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who stepped down for an unsuccessful run to be attorney general, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont in Florida’s 1st Congressional District.

Valimont, a gun prevention activist and 2024 Democratic nominee, trailed Gaetz by over 30 percentage points in the November general election. This time around, she raised more than $6.5 million – three times more than her Republican opponent...