The Winner
If you live in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) will represent you for his first full term. The Associated Press called the race for Patronis, WTOP reported.
Patronis had 62.6% of the vote to Democrat Gay Valimont’s 35.6% in the latest unofficial count from Decision Desk HQ, a lead of about 27 points. That’s far wider than his win over Valimont in the April 2025 special election, which he took 56.9% to 42.3%, according to Ballotpedia’s history of the district. The result keeps the seat in Republican hands.
The Race
Valimont advanced to the ballot without a vote after the Aug. 18 Democratic primary was canceled. Tyler Davis), who ran with no party affiliation, took 1.8%. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia’s race ratings.
The district covers much of the Florida Panhandle. About 793,000 people live there, and the typical household earns about $78,000 a year. About 32% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
About 71% of residents are white, about 13% are Black, about 8% are Hispanic and about 3% are Asian. The unemployment rate is about 5%, and about 12% of residents live below the poverty line.
What’s Next
Patronis begins his first full term on Jan. 3, 2027, and the results stay unofficial until Florida certifies them. In an Oct. 22 letter, he asked the Atlantic Coast Conference to explain its sports betting policies before Congress returns this month, as the House weighs the Protect College Sports Act, according to a press release from his office.
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