'DeSantis Criticizes Fine Following Florida Special Election Disappointment: "He repels people"'
The governor referred to Fine as a “squish” and attributed the underperformance in the special election to the policies that Fine endorsed.
TroibNews 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis intensified his criticism of Randy Fine on Wednesday, attributing the representative-elect’s “unique problems” to a special election outcome that he believed should have resulted in a larger victory margin.
At a press conference in Ocala, Florida, held the day after the election, DeSantis asserted that President Donald Trump’s endorsement played a crucial role in Fine's success in the 6th District race. He indicated that voters were initially reluctant to support Fine, claiming that Trump “really had to bail him out in the end.”
“These are voters who didn't like Randy Fine,” DeSantis remarked, “but who basically are like, ‘You know what? We're going to take one for the team. The president needs another vote up there, and so we're going to do it.’”
Concerns had arisen among national Republicans regarding the tight race between Fine and progressive candidate Josh Weil, who garnered nearly $14 million in campaign funding and was closing the gap in polls as the election neared. Trump rallied GOP supporters and held a telephone town hall to encourage voting for Fine, while several prominent MAGA allies participated in interviews with him.
Ultimately, Fine won against Weil by 14 points, a margin similar to those achieved by DeSantis and former Rep. Mike Waltz in their initial runs for the seat. Another special election outcome on the same day in the 1st District further showcased a similar margin for Republican Jimmy Patronis.
Despite Fine's victory, many, including DeSantis, viewed the 6th District race as a sign of underperformance. DeSantis and Trump had previously won the district by over 30 points in 2022 and 2024, respectively, and the political landscape in Florida has shifted further to the right since then. DeSantis noted that he did not fault Patronis, as outside groups did not need to step in to support him during the final days of his campaign. Similar sentiments were echoed by DeSantis in an appearance on Fox News Channel the same morning.
When asked for his reaction to DeSantis's comments, Fine shared a post on X featuring a video of the governor's criticisms, accompanied by the statement: “A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion. I’m focused on working with @realDonaldTrump to stop Democrats from taking this country backwards, not working with them. Let’s go.”
Allies of Fine have expressed concern that DeSantis should not enhance his relationship with Trump— which seems to have improved since the onset of the 2024 presidential primary—while disparaging those he endorses. A national GOP operative connected to the Fine campaign, who spoke anonymously, characterized DeSantis's critical comments in recent press appearances as counterproductive. “They say all these nice things about the president, then do everything they can to cripple the president’s agenda,” the operative claimed, emphasizing that while DeSantis reached out to Young Republicans about the race, he did little to actively support Fine.
“Casey and Ron were nowhere to be found,” the individual added. “They got more earned media around their attacks than the Democrats did.”
DeSantis and Fine's relationship soured in 2023 after Fine shifted his endorsement for president from DeSantis to Trump. Fine later criticized DeSantis in an op-ed for the Washington Times, alleging insufficient action against antisemitism in Florida following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As a result, Fine emerged as a prominent opponent of DeSantis in Tallahassee, often known for his fierce retorts during legislative hearings.
While DeSantis had already been critiquing Fine toward the end of the campaign, his remarks on Wednesday were notably more pointed. He labeled Fine a “squish” and referred to Fine's vote for a gun safety measure following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, expressing dissatisfaction with Fine's advocacy on illegal immigration legislation, which DeSantis deemed inadequate.
“Our base voters don't get excited about that,” DeSantis commented, “you're not giving them a reason to go out and vote.”
Before their falling out, DeSantis had considered Fine for the role of president at Florida Atlantic University. He later suggested that Fine's discontent over not receiving the position contributed to his endorsement switch, which Fine has disputed. DeSantis revisited this incident during his press conference, stating, “Just the way he conducts himself is somebody — 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, and I did, and the whole board would have resigned rather than making presidents, and now he's going to be in Congress.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
At a press conference in Ocala, Florida, held the day after the election, DeSantis asserted that President Donald Trump’s endorsement played a crucial role in Fine's success in the 6th District race. He indicated that voters were initially reluctant to support Fine, claiming that Trump “really had to bail him out in the end.”
“These are voters who didn't like Randy Fine,” DeSantis remarked, “but who basically are like, ‘You know what? We're going to take one for the team. The president needs another vote up there, and so we're going to do it.’”
Concerns had arisen among national Republicans regarding the tight race between Fine and progressive candidate Josh Weil, who garnered nearly $14 million in campaign funding and was closing the gap in polls as the election neared. Trump rallied GOP supporters and held a telephone town hall to encourage voting for Fine, while several prominent MAGA allies participated in interviews with him.
Ultimately, Fine won against Weil by 14 points, a margin similar to those achieved by DeSantis and former Rep. Mike Waltz in their initial runs for the seat. Another special election outcome on the same day in the 1st District further showcased a similar margin for Republican Jimmy Patronis.
Despite Fine's victory, many, including DeSantis, viewed the 6th District race as a sign of underperformance. DeSantis and Trump had previously won the district by over 30 points in 2022 and 2024, respectively, and the political landscape in Florida has shifted further to the right since then. DeSantis noted that he did not fault Patronis, as outside groups did not need to step in to support him during the final days of his campaign. Similar sentiments were echoed by DeSantis in an appearance on Fox News Channel the same morning.
When asked for his reaction to DeSantis's comments, Fine shared a post on X featuring a video of the governor's criticisms, accompanied by the statement: “A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion. I’m focused on working with @realDonaldTrump to stop Democrats from taking this country backwards, not working with them. Let’s go.”
Allies of Fine have expressed concern that DeSantis should not enhance his relationship with Trump— which seems to have improved since the onset of the 2024 presidential primary—while disparaging those he endorses. A national GOP operative connected to the Fine campaign, who spoke anonymously, characterized DeSantis's critical comments in recent press appearances as counterproductive. “They say all these nice things about the president, then do everything they can to cripple the president’s agenda,” the operative claimed, emphasizing that while DeSantis reached out to Young Republicans about the race, he did little to actively support Fine.
“Casey and Ron were nowhere to be found,” the individual added. “They got more earned media around their attacks than the Democrats did.”
DeSantis and Fine's relationship soured in 2023 after Fine shifted his endorsement for president from DeSantis to Trump. Fine later criticized DeSantis in an op-ed for the Washington Times, alleging insufficient action against antisemitism in Florida following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As a result, Fine emerged as a prominent opponent of DeSantis in Tallahassee, often known for his fierce retorts during legislative hearings.
While DeSantis had already been critiquing Fine toward the end of the campaign, his remarks on Wednesday were notably more pointed. He labeled Fine a “squish” and referred to Fine's vote for a gun safety measure following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, expressing dissatisfaction with Fine's advocacy on illegal immigration legislation, which DeSantis deemed inadequate.
“Our base voters don't get excited about that,” DeSantis commented, “you're not giving them a reason to go out and vote.”
Before their falling out, DeSantis had considered Fine for the role of president at Florida Atlantic University. He later suggested that Fine's discontent over not receiving the position contributed to his endorsement switch, which Fine has disputed. DeSantis revisited this incident during his press conference, stating, “Just the way he conducts himself is somebody — 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, and I did, and the whole board would have resigned rather than making presidents, and now he's going to be in Congress.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
