EYDER PERALTA, HOST:
There are two special elections in Florida this week to replace two House Republicans tapped by President Trump to serve in his administration - Matt Gaetz, who pulled back from consideration as attorney general after a House ethics probe over allegations of drug use and sex trafficking, and Michael Waltz, the national security adviser involved in the controversy over the use of the Signal app.
Now the races in Florida's first and sixth congressional districts have raised eyebrows over the amount of money Democratic candidates have raised. Combined, it's $15 million - and that's compared to the 3 million raised by their GOP rivals. Tristan Wood, with WFSU Public Media in Tallahassee, has been following these races and he joins us now. Hey, Tristan.
TRISTAN WOOD, BYLINE: Hi, Eyder.
PERALTA: So those are some strong fundraising numbers for the Democratic candidates. Where is all that money coming from?
WOOD: So the vast majority of that money came in via small-dollar donations from tens of thousands of Democrats around the country. Reaching that national audience was the explicit goal of both Democratic campaigns since they launched. Staffers spent millions of dollars on targeted digital ads for months, essentially spending money to make money. Here's a clip from one of those ads.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
GAY VALIMONT: We can stop Project 2025 in its tracks.
JOSH WEIL: We are going to need every Democrat in the nation to pitch in and help us with this thing.
WOOD: The ads also utilized clips of prominent Democrats, like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, talking about the race, notably without their permission. Those ads have also focused on how narrow the Republicans' control of Congress is.
PERALTA: And that's likely why national Democrats are so interested in donating to these races, right?
WOOD: Absolutely. This is really the first opportunity that they have had since Trump was elected to voice their anger with his administration and express that anger with their purse. When I spoke with Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, he says it's mirroring recent trends where donor enthusiasm is highest from members of a party that lost a presidential election during a new president's first 100 days.
AUBREY JEWETT: I think a lot of Democrats around the country feel that the Democrats in Congress have been pretty ineffective in combating Trump and the congressional Republicans, and they've been itching to do something other than just post on social media or write letters to the editor, or what have you.
WOOD: And the ads have leaned into that combative spirit. They've been focused on how winning those seats could help stop Trump's agenda.
PERALTA: OK. So these are seats in districts that heavily voted for Republicans in November. So are these Democratic campaigns resonating with voters in the first and sixth districts?
WOOD: So there's no doubt it has invigorated the Democrats that do live in those districts, and it's making things much closer than people expected. Democrats only trail Republicans in early voter turnout by a few thousand so far despite having a significant registration gap. But ultimately, both congressional districts went to the GOP by over 30 points last year. That's why President Trump selected those congressmen to serve in his administration because the seats have been safe for Republicans. It's unlikely that even with that money advantage that Democrats will win these races. That has at least some Democrats, like strategist and Obama campaign alum Steve Schale, questioning whether all the money being spent is worth it.
STEVE SCHALE: Hey, I don't blame people for contributing. I just - I wish there was a way to sort of harness this energy angst, whatever's sort of driving people to throw money at a plus-25 Republican district (laughter) to throw money that actually, you know, aid at races that need it.
WOOD: He also pointed out that the money these races have gotten is more money than his party spent in this state on voter registration over the last several years.
PERALTA: That was Tristan Wood from WFSU Public Media in Tallahassee. Tristan, thank you for your reporting.
WOOD: Thank you for having me on. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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