Florida State Sen. Randy Fine says he doesn't think he disagrees with Trump on anything
Florida state Sen. Randy Fine, the Republican candidate in Tuesday's special U.S. House election for the seat vacated by former Rep. Mike Waltz, said on ABC News Live on Monday that he doesn't think he breaks with President Donald Trump on policies.
"I don't think so," Fine told ABC News Live anchor Diane Macedo when asked if he disagrees with Trump on anything.
"I mean, look, I was the second Florida legislator to endorse [Trump] over Gov. [Ron] DeSantis [in the 2024 presidential primaries] … And so no, I mean, I believe in the America First agenda and the Donald Trump agenda. And more importantly, I think that when you have a team captain, you have to support the team," Fine said.
Fine's race is one of a pair of special elections for the U.S. House in Florida on Tuesday that might have an impact on the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. House Republicans currently hold a narrow majority with 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson has a two-vote cushion for his majority.
While the Republicans are favored to win in each district -- given that both districts were ruby-red in 2024 -- some have speculated that the margin between the Republicans and Democrats in each district could be tighter than anticipated, and voices within the Republican Party have raised concerns over Fine's campaign. Fine and his allies, including Trump, have maintained he has momentum.
Fine shrugged off some recent implicit criticism from Florida Gov. DeSantis, telling Macedo, "What I'm focused on is tomorrow. We're doing great."
Fine's Democratic opponent, Josh Weil, received Sen. Bernie Sanders' endorsement on Friday. Weil has also far outpaced Fine in fundraising.
ABC News Live reached out to Weil's campaign as well to request an interview.
If elected, Fine will be dealing with issues such as the nation's economy. A recent Gallup poll showed that 59% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of it.
Asked by Macedo if he thinks Trump has done enough on inflation, Fine said he does and emphasized how his race ties into Republicans advancing Trump's agenda.
"I think he's giving everything -- inflation and ... everything else a lot of attention," Fine said, blaming the Biden administration for a "mess" that Trump had to take on.
Mentioning improvements in the price of eggs and fuel, Fine added, "There's more work to be done, but I think he's doing a great job, and that's why it's important that people go vote for me, so that we can keep that Republican majority in Congress and continue to fight for President Trump's agenda."
Asked if he'd support Trump's planned tariffs this week even if they raise prices, Fine said he doesn't know that they will raise prices and that he supports tariffs generally because "the time for America being taken advantage of is over."
He also said he has spoken to Florida farmers about the issue.
"Florida farmers are supporting me. The major agriculture entities in Florida are supporting me, and they're happy because they see foreign goods be dumped into the United States, subsidized by other countries. They have a difficult time selling their products abroad, and they are glad to see America standing up for fair trade practices," Fine said.
