Randy Fine
Published on January 28, 2025 at 9:22 pm
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Following an out-of-season special primary election Tuesday, the stage is set for the April 1 general election for the Congressional District 6 seat that Republican Rep. Michael Waltz gave up to serve as a national security advisor to President Donald Trump.
The winners in the special primary election were Brevard County Republican state Sen. Randy Fine and Orlando Democrat Josh Weil, a teacher.
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Florida’s primary elections are closed, meaning only voters registered with a political party can cast a ballot. Republicans and Democrats in the six-county District 6 area selected their preferred candidates to face off in the April general election.
Fine and Weil will face a Libertarian Party candidate, a candidate not affiliated with a political party and a write-in candidate for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives that covers parts of St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties. None of them currently live in the district they are running to represent.
Fine served in the state House since 2016 and was elected to the Florida Senate two months ago. Fine has filed several recent bills, including to lower the age at which Floridians can purchase firearms and to rescind in-state college tuition for the children of undocumented parents.
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Fine received a ringing endorsement from President Donald Trump, of whom he has been a staunch supporter.
The Republican candidate could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening, but Fine posted on social media that God had saved Trump’s life “so he could save the world. And tonight, both of them, powered by my amazing family and all of you who voted for me, put me one step closer to being able to help them do that.”
G-d saved @realDonaldTrump’s life so he could save the world. And tonight, both of them, powered by my amazing family and all of you who voted for me, put me one step closer to being able to help him do that. I swear I won’t let any of you down.
— Senator Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) January 29, 2025
Weil, a teacher who lives in Orlando, won the Democratic primary over George “Ges” Selmont.
Weil describes himself as a progressive Democrat and states on his website that he was moved to run for the District 6 seat to stave off Trump’s control of Congress.
Weil’s campaign website specifically jabs at Fine, who he has called “childish and hateful.”
“Fine is the epitome of everything that is wrong with America today, and getting him in will ensure that Trump has the votes he needs to dismantle the Department of Education, overturn the Affordable Care Act, and enact a federal ban on abortion rights and women’s access to health care,” Weil writes.
Weil’s background includes working with at-risk students in Central Florida. He currently works at a middle school in Osceola County.
In response to a request from Jacksonville Today, Weil said in a statement that his victory belonged to Florida’s “regular people,” not “corporate PACs.”
“I’m a public educator and single dad, so I’ve seen firsthand the struggles families across our communities face every day,” Weil says. “Floridians need leaders who will fight to actually lower the cost of housing and groceries, invest in our schools, and expand access to good healthcare.”
