There is no love lost between Rep. Randy Fine (R) and Governor Ron DeSantis, who has dismissed Rep. Fine’s special election night victory as an “underperformance” in a very Republican district, calling him a “squish,” and questioning Team Trump.
During the contentious 2024 Republican Presidential Primary race between President Donald Trump and Gov. DeSantis, then-State Rep. Fine pulled his endorsement of Gov. DeSantis and endorsed President Trump.
President Trump labeled Gov. DeSantis as "Ron DeSanctimonious" and disloyal for running against him in 2024.
DeSantis’ 2024 Fool’s errand (Presidential campaign) against Trump could go down as one of the most dramatic downfalls, and dumbest move in American political history.
According to several sources close to Gov. DeSantis, Rep. Fine’s move to pull his endorsement infuriated “America’s Governor.”
During a press conference the morning after the April 1 special election in Florida’s 1st and 6th congressional districts, DeSantis reiterated his belief that Fine was a compromised candidate that “underperformed” in a congressional district that President Trump won by 33 percentage points.
DeSantis also previously mentioned that when he ran in the same district years ago, where he handily won his races.
It’s important to note that when DeSantis first ran for Congress in 2012, the district looked very different, but was still a strong Republican performing district.
Let’s break down some of the assertions and claims that DeSantis made against Fine.
It’s interesting to see the side-by-side campaign comparison of the two men.
DeSantis:
“He repels people. He's repelled people in the legislature. They wanted to get him out of the legislature so they asked me to put him up for Florida Atlantic president we did and the whole board would have resigned rather than make him president and so now he's going to be in Congress.”
So, when he was up for the President’s job at FAU, Fine had not pulled his endorsement of DeSantis.
From what we understand, the job was promised to him after the endorsement was made, but DeSantis dragged his feet and delayed the process.
Fine then pulled his endorsement.
Starting in 2024, and culminating during the 2025 legislative session in Florida, Florida Republican lawmakers have begun to “repel” DeSantis over the way he and his staff have mistreated many of them.
Rep. Juan Porras event went as far as to call DeSantis a “lame duck” governor.
Trump District
DeSantis:
“It was unique problems with this candidate that was causing this to be a close race, and I think it was trending to be a lot closer than what happened… They put in a lot of money on the Republican side 4 or $5 million you know trump plus 30 seat you shouldn't have to do but they did and then the president did a couple of Tele town halls…”
In the 2024 Presidential election, Rep. Michael Waltz (R) won the seat by 33 percentage points.
President Trump and outside Republicans groups galvanized around Fine (like is the case in most races) and helped secure the victory.
Trump Intervention
DeSantis:
“I think that Election Day turnout was really good for special election for Republicans in the district and I attribute that to President Trump's intervention. I think these are voters who didn't like Randy fine but who basically were like you know what we're gonna take one for the team president needs another vote up there and so we're going to do it .”
President Trump’s “intervention,” which includes his endorsement of Fine, in this race was going to happen. The President himself said that he was going to get involved in the race, and in now-Rep. Jimmy Patronis’ race in FL CD 1.
If it Wasn’t for Trump…
DeSantis:
“So, I do I would not read into the underperformance that this is somehow a referendum on on MAGA or Trump. I think it was a unique issue with this particular candidate…So I just view it as it's an underperformance I think it's speak to the candidate and the president really had to bail him out at the end.”
Remember back in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial race between the AG Commissioner Adam Putnam and then-Rep. DeSantis, it was Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis over Putnam that sealed the deal in that race, or bailed him out.
DeSantis has reminded Floridians many times over that Trump’s endorsement put him over the top.
“You’re my guy,” Trump once told DeSantis.
Years later, Trump said he regretted endorsing DeSantis and outline how the endorsement went down.
“He was dead as a dog, he was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else...“I said ‘You are so dead right now you are not going, no endorsement is going to save you. George Washington won’t save you.’ He said, ‘I’m telling you, if you endorse me, I have a chance,’” Trump said.
Underperforming
DeSantis says Fine underperformed in the district he once represented, but in looking back at DeSantis’ past congressional election results, who really underperformed?
Fine defeated a well-funded Democrat by a vote margin of 13 percentage points, which appears to be in line with DeSantis’ past election night results.
Only 194, 475 Floridians came out to vote in the special election, with 110, 764 voters having sided with Fine.
Again, every single congressional district in Florida has changed over the years, so take that for what its worth.
Also, special elections are notorious for having low voter turnout.
Here are DeSantis’s three past congressional elections.
2012 Election Results in FL CD 6
Rep. DeSantis beat his Democrat opponent by 14.2 percentage points.
195,962 Floridians voted for him.
2014 Election Results in FL CD 6
Rep. DeSantis beat his Democrat opponent by 25 percentage points.
166,101 Floridians voted for him.
2016 Election Results in FL CD 6
Rep. DeSantis beat his Democrat opponent by 17.2 percentage points.
213, 519 Floridians voted for him.
**Note— DeSantis ran for the U.S. Senate that year and dropped out.
Both DeSantis and Fine won their respective races by big numbers, even though more people came out to vote in all three of DeSantis’s elections. Again, less people turn out in special elections.
Between 50,000 and 100,000 more voters came out to vote in the elections that DeSantis participated in.
