Florida’s Republican chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis has fended off a tougher-than-expected challenge in a special election for Florida's 1st Congressional District.

The race to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District was seen as a bellwether for Trump's support in deep-red areas.

Republican Jimmy Patronis has won the special election to succeed former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. Patronis, the outgoing chief financial officer of Florida, defeated Democrat Gay Valimont in the race for the seat that borders Alabama on the Gulf Coast in the westernmost part of the Florida panhandle.