BURSTThe Democratic National Committee announced an investment in two April special House races in Florida on Thursday.
The Hill was the first outlet to learn of the investment, which according to the DNC will allow the Florida Democratic Party to bring in “additional full-time organizing capacity to mobilize voters and volunteers on the ground” in the state’s first and sixth congressional districts.
The investment will also cover the roll out of a voter protection program in the two districts, which will include over 200 poll watchers and greeters to be deployed on Election Day. The DNC did not provide a specific dollar amount for the investment.
Florida has become a red state over the past decade, making the DNC investment more notable. Trump carried the state by 13 points in November.
“I ran for DNC Chair on a platform to compete in elections everywhere – in all 57 states and territories and across all 3,244 counties,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.
“This investment into the Florida congressional special elections is exactly the type of work we must do to build power on the ground and make clear to voters that there are no off years when the stakes for the American people are so high,” he continued.
The pair of special elections to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the first congressional district and national security adviser Mike Waltz in the sixth congressional district are slated for April 1.
In the first congressional district, Democrat Gay Valimont is facing off the state’s chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis, a Republican. The congressional district is one of the most conservative in the state. Gaetz easily won reelection in November, carrying 66 percent of the vote. The district, which is located in the state’s western panhandle, includes Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, along with parts of Walton County.
In the sixth congressional district, Democrat Josh Weil is going up against Republican state Sen. Randy Fine (R ). The district also has a strong conservative lean and stretches along Florida’s east coast from southern Jacksonville to the Daytona Beach area. Waltz won reelection in November with just more than 66 percent of the vote.
President Trump has endorsed Patronis and Fine.
Both districts are Republican leaning and will be an uphill climb for Democrats. But Valimont and Weil have made headlines with their reported fundraising hauls. Valimont said last week she raised $6.7 million, while Weil said on Thursday his campaign raked in a whopping $10 million.
Democrats have touted their performances in special elections this year, including wins in Virginia and Minnesota.