‘Another Jewish warrior’: Fine wins special election for U.S. House seat
The last time Republicans had a record-breaking number of Jewish members was in 1981
Donald Trump and Randy Fine pose together in 2024. (Courtesy Randy Fine) Courtesy of Randy Fine
By Jacob Kornbluh April 1, 2025
Republican Jews are exhilarated. The election of Randy Fine to an open House seat in central Florida has brought the number of Republican Jews to its highest level in over 40 years.
Fine, a Florida state representative, received at least 54% of the vote, and has been declared the winner by the Associated Press, beating Democrat Josh Weil, a former math teacher, in the special election to replace Mike Waltz, who became the national security adviser.
The Republican Jewish Coalition congratulated Fine in a statement. “We saw Randy’s commitment firsthand when he campaigned alongside RJC in key battleground states, going door-to-door, to deliver victory for President Trump in the 2024 election,” the RJC said.
The race became unexpectedly competitive in recent weeks, despite President Donald Trump winning the district by more than 30 points. Republicans blamed Fine, known for his combative nature, for missteps that seemed to have energized the Democratic voter base ahead of the midterm elections next year.
The Republican Jewish caucus
Fine told JTA in a pre-election day interview that he thinks “one of the reasons” Trump asked him to run was because he “wanted another Jewish warrior up there.”
Fine will join Reps. Max Miller of Ohio, David Kustoff of Tennessee and Craig Goldman of Texas, who are not part of the formal Congressional Jewish Caucus. Just a decade ago, Lee Zeldin, who now serves as Trump’s EPA administrator, was the sole Jewish Republican member of Congress, following the departure of Eric Cantor in 2014.
The last time Republicans had a record-breaking number of Jewish members was in 1981, with six: Benjamin Gilman from New York, Bill Gradison from Ohio, Mickey Edwards from Oklahoma, Ken Kramer and Bobbi Fiedler from California, and Marc L. Marks from Pennsylvania.
The House now has 25 Jewish members. There are also 10 Jewish Senators, all Democrats.
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