Special Election Set for Florida District 6

A special election is scheduled for April 1, 2024, to fill the congressional seat of Rep. Michael Waltz, who will leave office to become President-elect Donald Trump's National Security Advisor. The election process includes a closed partisan primary on January 28, 2024, with a candidate qualifying period running from December 6 to December 7. The Florida 6th congressional district, which has been consistently represented by Republicans, encompasses parts of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties, with over 525,000 registered voters. Several candidates, including Waltz’s District Director Ernie Audino and state senator Randy Fine, who has Trump's endorsement, have already announced their candidacies. Secretary of State Cord Byrd emphasized that the election is being expedited as per state law. The timeline for this election follows both state and federal regulations regarding special elections.