PENSACOLA, Fla. — Trump is continuing to drastically change the federal government. Voters in a congressional district in northwest Florida that is home to thousands of veterans will be among the first to test the president’s plans in the polls.
Most people think that Jimmy Patronis, the state’s CFO and a Republican backed by President Trump, will win the special election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District on April 1. This would help the Republicans gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz quit, leaving the seat open in an area that is mostly Republican.
Gay Valimont, a Democrat running for office, wants to depend on the Department of Government Efficiency Service’s plan to fire federal workers and break up federal agencies to win her election. If she wins, it would go against decades of political norms and could send strong signals about how people across the political spectrum feel about the president’s tough second term in office.
The western Panhandle of Florida is home to Florida’s 1st Congressional District. This area is famous for its sugar-sand beaches and big military bases, including the largest Air Force base in the country. No other congressional district in the country has more soldiers living in it. In 2024, Gaetz won a more than 30-point majority over Valimont to win a fifth term.
But Trump’s executive orders and Elon Musk’s “slash and burn” efforts at DOGE are going after government agencies that help veterans in the area. This is putting some conservative voters in the district to the test.
Trump chose Gaetz to be attorney general, which freed up the spot. The conservative dropped out of the running because he is being investigated for sexual misbehavior, which he denies.
A neighborhood where veterans live is getting ready for VA cuts.
The 1st District is home to thousands of families who rely on the federal government in different ways. Because of this, the government gives veterans preference when hiring. A state study says that defense spending makes up almost a quarter of the economy in northwest Florida.
A Navy ship at a Pensacola port stands tall over the old downtown area of the city. Commander Street and Petty Officers’ Way are some of the names of nearby roads.
Many veterans who have served their country come back to the area to raise families or retire. They go to the Pensacola VA center for medical care, but staff members say it’s already full.
Tim Chandler, who was in the Marine Corps for 16 years, helps other veterans figure out the complicated healthcare system by volunteering at the clinic once a week. The VA’s staff is praised, but the parking lot is packed with cars, and he hears stories of patients who have reached their breaking point.
The man said, “We need an emergency room.” “Our building needs to be bigger.” We need to find ways to get more doctors.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has been criticized for a long time for being too bureaucratic and making people wait too long. As part of its efforts to get rid of waste, fraud, and abuse, DOGE has said it plans to cut more than 80,000 jobs across the department.
Doug Collins, the secretary of veterans affairs, said that the layoffs won’t affect the health care or benefits of soldiers. In a statement, the VA said that “mission-critical positions” would not be affected. This meant that medical staff and people who handle claims would not be affected.
Heather Lindsay, the Republican mayor of Milton, Florida, which is in nearby Santa Rosa County, said the cuts were “disastrous” and would hurt services that soldiers like her brother depend on.
“We have shown that we need help in this area.” He said this in an interview: “They’re going to cut VA services anyway.”
Jason Boatwright, who used to work for Gaetz, said that Patronis should be speaking up for the Pensacola VA.
“He needs to get up and ask, ‘Do you want to cut?'” That’s okay. Don’t do it here, though. We can’t pay for it here,'” Boatwright said.
Lindsay said she doesn’t know “why more questions haven’t been asked” by Republican leaders like Patronis.
She said, “It worries me for our future as a country.”
A Democrat’s weak bid
Valimont, who used to be the head of the Florida chapter of the gun control group Moms Demand Action, has made it a central issue of her campaign that the Trump administration has caused chaos at government agencies.
“Think about what would happen if Matt Gaetz’s seat saved the Department of Education,” she told about 150 people at a town hall meeting earlier this month in Pensacola. “This could be fixed.” Because, you guys, this spot could save the whole country.
It’s possible that the Pensacola Democrat’s party won’t be able to “fix” everything the Trump administration has done, but she says she can “not do anything worse.”
Patronis, who used to be a state lawmaker and is now Florida’s chief financial officer, ran for office as a strong supporter of the president.
In an interview, Patronis said he would stand up to Trump if he thought the president’s actions were hurting northwest Florida. However, he played down worries that DOGE’s attempts to control programs approved by Congress are illegal.
People in charge said, “We’ve agreed with everything that President Trump has done so far.” “Right now, if Congress didn’t like what the president is doing, you would see Congress do something.”
When Trump backed Patronis in November, it looked like a stronger Republican primary wouldn’t happen. The GOP choice is likely to easily win, even though he doesn’t live in the district. This bothers some local Republicans, even though the Constitution doesn’t require candidates to live in the district.
Lindsay, the mayor of Milton, is worried that her party’s strong performance in the elections is making candidates and voters too comfortable.
She said, “A lot of people probably don’t even think it’s worth their time.” “That leader won’t listen to them because they only listen to Elon Musk and President Trump,” that person said.
Valimont wants to win over conservatives by slamming the whole effort to cut federal agencies and linking Patronis to Florida’s property insurance problem. This is true even in parts of the state where some people are afraid to “come out” as Democrats. Some of the highest insurance rates in the country are in this state, where his job helps keep the rules in place.
People from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii have come to help get the word out about Valimont’s effort, which has raised more than $6 million.
Desrick Scott, Chair of the Democratic Party in Escambia County, said that Valimont might have a chance if she can find conservatives “who are willing to take the secret to their grave that they voted for a Democrat this one time.”
Many Republicans in the area can’t imagine losing the 1st District spot. Doug Stauffer is the head of the GOP in Okaloosa County. He says the question is not if his party will win, but by how much.
Staffer said, “If we don’t win decisively, then we have failed.”
