FLORIDA - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking aim at Representative-elect Randy Fine following what he called a lackluster victory in Florida’s 6th Congressional District special election.
Speaking at a press conference in Ocala, DeSantis claimed Fine’s narrow margin of victory was due to his “unique problems,” and alleged that support from President Donald Trump was the only reason Fine crossed the finish line.
“These voters didn’t want Randy,” DeSantis said. “But they voted for him because the president needed another Republican in Congress. Trump really had to rescue him.”
Fine defeated Democrat Josh Weil by 14 points, a win that matches historical margins for the seat but falls well short of the 30-point victories Trump and DeSantis previously earned in the district.
DeSantis criticized Fine’s record, calling him a “squish” for supporting gun safety legislation after the Parkland school shooting and for backing immigration policies the governor labeled as weak.
The tension between the two Republicans dates back to 2023, when Fine switched his presidential endorsement from DeSantis to Trump and accused the governor of not doing enough to fight antisemitism in Florida.
The falling out intensified when DeSantis allegedly rejected Fine’s hopes for a leadership role at Florida Atlantic University.
Fine responded to DeSantis with a pointed post on X: “A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion.”
Despite the infighting, Fine will join Congress after a race that revealed divisions in the Florida GOP—and how crucial Trump’s support remains within the party.