Republicans secured key wins in Florida’s special congressional elections Monday night, tightening their grip on the House majority. But in Wisconsin, a liberal victory in a high-stakes Supreme Court race has raised new concerns about redistricting and the future of election integrity in the battleground state.
In Florida’s 1st and 6th congressional districts, Republican candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine held off Democrat challengers to retain two GOP-controlled seats.
The wins increase the Republican House majority to 220–213, giving Speaker Mike Johnson a little more breathing room to pass legislation aligned with President Trump’s agenda.
Although the races were in reliably red territory, Democrats poured money into the contests and out-raised the Republican candidates.
The closer-than-expected results—especially in the 6th District, where the GOP margin dropped from 30 points in 2022 to just 8 points this time—have Democrats claiming momentum going into 2026.
But Florida Republicans remain confident. “These seats are ours, and they’re staying ours,” said one senior Florida GOP official. “Let the Democrats waste their money where they can’t win.”
Meanwhile, Wisconsin delivered a blow to conservatives.
Susan Crawford, a liberal circuit court judge backed by national Democrats, defeated Trump-endorsed Brad Schimel in a race that became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history. With this win, the left retains a 4–3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Despite a late push by conservative groups, and more than $20 million in spending from Elon Musk and other right-leaning donors, Crawford’s campaign surged with support from liberal billionaires like George Soros and J.B. Pritzker.
The race became a de facto referendum not only on Trump’s White House leadership, but also on Musk’s involvement in government reform and election policy.
At a rally in Madison, Crawford celebrated by taking a direct jab at Musk: “I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won.”
The implications of Crawford’s win are significant. With the court under liberal control, congressional redistricting is likely to resurface.
GOP leaders warn that new court-drawn maps could eliminate Republican strongholds and endanger incumbents like Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil—both critical Trump allies.
Schimel, a former attorney general, leaned hard into his endorsement from President Trump and emphasized that the race was about protecting the Constitution and stopping judicial activism.
He warned that the Wisconsin court could become a vehicle for partisan attacks on Trump’s reforms, particularly those affecting elections and labor laws.
“This was a referendum on the future of Wisconsin,” Schimel told supporters after conceding. “And we’ll be back to fight again.”
Also on the ballot in Wisconsin was a proposed constitutional amendment to lock in the state’s current voter ID law.
Voters approved the measure by a wide margin, giving Republicans a win on a key issue. The amendment prevents future legislatures from watering down voter ID requirements, a move supported by President Trump and the state GOP.
Still, the court loss looms large. Trump, who narrowly won Wisconsin in both 2016 and 2020, said on Monday that control of the state’s high court is crucial to securing fair elections. “Winning Wisconsin’s a big deal,” he said. “So the Supreme Court race—yeah, it’s a big one.”
Republicans are now eyeing Wisconsin as a top priority, knowing full well the legal and electoral battles that could play out in the months ahead.