President Donald Trump is giving his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to U.S. Rep. Randy Fine.
Trump called Fine a “MAGA Warrior who is doing a fantastic job representing Florida’s six-county 6th Congressional District” in a social media post Saturday morning that is well-timed for Fine’s purposes.
Challenger Charles Gambaro, currently a Palm Coast City Council member who had a role in the final months of the first Trump administration, recently expressed confidence that Trump would endorse him over the former state lawmaker, but clearly that’s not coming to pass. Will Furry, the Flagler County school board member, is also among the numerous candidates running against Fine.
Fine enjoyed Trump’s endorsement this year when he won the Special Election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, now the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The Fine endorsement follows closely on the heels of the first round of campaign finance reports, which showed Fine well ahead, and both Gambaro’s and Furry’s lesser hauls to have been swelled by their own loans to themselves.
Fine’s district includes all of Flagler County, Daytona Beach, and extends northward toward St. Augustine and west toward Ocala and Gainesville.
Fine won his last Primary with 83% of the vote, largely on the strength of the Trump brand. He also got nearly 57% of the vote in the General Election in a district that was 46% Republican and 27% Democratic earlier this year. He beat Democrat Josh Weil.
Numerous candidates are challenging him, but with the President’s backing he has an advantage that may be tough to dislodge.
Trump also endorsed another term for Reps. Mike Haridopolos and Greg Steube on Saturday, and for Kat Cammack earlier this week.
Like Fine, none of these incumbents are in seats Democrats likely can win.
In more good news for Fine, he again is being backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an endorsement that was questioned in recent days when he wasn’t on their page of preferred candidates. AIPAC is the country’s most powerful pro-Israel lobby group.
–FlaglerLive and Florida Politics
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