Inside a gray building that also functions as a hair salon, Derrick Scott and fellow Democrats in the far western part of Florida’s Panhandle spent four months working toward a goal many saw as unlikely — winning over a strongly conservative area that Donald Trump carried by nearly 20 points in November.
When votes were counted late Tuesday, Democrat Gay Valimont did not win the congressional seat that few expected her to take. Still, something significant happened — for the first time in almost 20 years, a Democrat running for federal office won Escambia County, where Pensacola is located. The last time the county backed a Democrat for the U.S. House was in 1992.
“I was gobsmacked to say the least,” said Scott, who chairs the Escambia County Democratic Party.
The shift in Pensacola and reduced winning margins for Republicans in other parts of Florida’s 1st Congressional District and along the Atlantic Coast could mean trouble for Republicans heading into next year’s elections. It might show struggling Democrats a way forward in Florida and other areas.
Republicans, including Trump and his allies, are quick to tone down the excitement. They point out that candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, both supported by Trump, won their special elections by large margins. They were running to replace Matt Gaetz, who Trump nominated for attorney general before withdrawing, and Michael Waltz, who became Trump’s national security adviser.
These wins increase the Republican lead in the U.S. House to 220-213.
Still, in less than five months, vote margins were cut in half compared to last November in deeply conservative areas. Democrats focused on the concerns of veterans and people relying on federal programs, who might be affected by the Trump administration’s major changes to government services. The results may give Democrats ideas on how to make their case against Trump and Republicans moving forward.
Jimmy Patronis looks at his phoneChoosing a familiar candidate who had done well in Pensacola in a past race helped Democrats make gains along the Emerald Coast, where many military veterans and their families live. Democrats were helped by having more money, thanks to a political group run by a U.S. Navy veteran.
“It is a warning sign for Republicans in Florida and across the country, and it should send shivers down the spine of any Republican,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who said the results prove her party still has energy in a state many thought was no longer competitive.
Fried pointed out that there are four military bases near Pensacola. In Florida’s 6th Congressional District, about 60% of people rely on Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.
“Those are the issues that are really going to be waking up the sleepy beast,” she said. “It’s not just Democrats, but Americans understand that the Trump and Musk platform and issues are not going to work.”
The Ehr Force PAC is named after founder Phil Ehr and his military background. Ehr was already known in Pensacola and got 44% of the vote in 2020 against Gaetz’s 55%. He spent months helping local Democrats reach voters by phone, text, and door-to-door visits, asking what would make them return to vote. The PAC said many Republicans had switched sides.
“It’s a hard, hard road. But now we’ve seen it can be done,” Ehr said.
Heather Lindsay, a Republican mayor of Milton in nearby Santa Rosa County, voted for Valimont, the Democrat running against Patronis.
“It’s not about being loyal to one party or the other,” she explained. “It’s about making sure we have a functioning democracy.”
Lindsay has criticized the changes affecting the Department of Veteran Affairs and said elected Republicans have stayed quiet about new actions by the Trump administration.
“I think the Republican Party ought to look closely at what happened in Escambia County and see why they couldn’t take Escambia County for granted,” she said. “To see Escambia County go blue is something to pay attention to.”
Josh Wells talks to a group of supportersSince Republicans took the seat in 1994, they had never won with less than 61% of the vote in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. On Tuesday, Patronis received 57%, while Valimont got 42%.
Sally Dutcher, a 77-year-old retired search and rescue worker in Pensacola, attended Patronis’s watch party Tuesday night. As early results came in, there was tension in the room. She said Republicans had been “overconfident” and expects Democrats to use these results to gain more support for the 2026 elections.
“We’ve got to start now. We can’t let up,” Dutcher said. “They’re not going to. They’re already starting on the next election.”
Democrats also made progress in Volusia County, which includes Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and nearby rural areas. In that area, Fine won by just under 2 percentage points against Democrat Josh Weil, after Trump had won there by 21 points in November.
William Bittorf of Daytona Beach said he was relieved that Fine won because he thinks the Republican president needs more help in Congress to carry out his plans.
“I was worried because the Democrats had raised so much money,” Bittorf said.
In the same city, 65-year-old Susan Spencer voted for a Democrat because she wanted to push back against Trump’s actions.
Spencer, an independent voter who turned away from the Republican Party after Trump was elected in 2016, waited in line to vote, calling it a “pivotal time in our government today.”
Spencer thought most people ahead of her in line were voting Republican.
“I just wonder if they also watch the news,” Spencer said.