(The Center Square) – Two U.S. House candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump won easy victories in their Republican primaries on Tuesday.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis took the 1st Congressional District with 65.74% of the preliminary count, or 33,723 votes, according to results released by the Florida secretary of state’s office.
Sen. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne, also won his race in the 6th Congressional District on the east-central coast. He took 33,883 votes, good for 83.02% of the total, and will take on Democrat Josh Weill in the general election on April 1.
Weill won his primary with 9,713 votes, or 60.76% of the total.
Trump won all of the 6th Congressional District’s counties by more than 60%.
Mike Waltz won his third term in the 6th Congressional District on Nov. 5, then was tapped to be National Security Advisor. The former Special Forces soldier resigned from the House of Representatives on Jan. 20.
Patronis will run unopposed after the Democrats declined to put up a candidate in a district where Trump won all but one county with 70% or more of the vote.
The Panama City native will replace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was Trump’s original pick for attorney general before he stepped down ahead of any confirmation proceedings.
