The Palm Bay Republican said his GOP Primary win for Congress shows there is life after crossing the Governor.

Entering his last two years in office, DeSantis has started a rift with GOP leaders over immigration, possibly sparking a new era of oversight.

Update: Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine swept their respective primaries in congressional special elections. Patronis had 65.6% of the vote in CD 1 with 65% of the vote counted. There was no Democratic primary so Patronis will face Gay Valimont.

Donald Trump’s power to pick political winners in his adopted home state gets another test Tuesday with special election primaries for the seats left vacant by former Republican congressmen Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz.

Fine, who is backed by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and former Rep. Mike Waltz , had a prohibitive cash edge, with $426,712 raised through Jan. 8, according to Federal Election Commission records. More than $355,000 of that comes from individual contributions, and the other $70,000-plus stems from committee cash.

The wins put MAGA loyalists Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine on glide paths to Congress when they take on little-known Democratic opponents in special general elections on April 1.

Florida state Sen. Randy Fine will win the Republican special primary to fill former Rep. Mike Waltz’s seat in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.

Both Republicans will now advance to the April 1 special election, where they are expected to be heavy favorites in the solid GOP districts.

Fine, who is expected to win election easily, courted controversy for tweeting what observers said was a threat against Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

The relationship between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders of the Florida Legislature has devolved into open hostility. In social media posts and public pronouncements this week, DeSantis has accused legislators of sabotaging his plans for strong immigration enforcement.

Catch up on the political news of the past week in the latest At the Races newsletter, including on Trump nominees and special elections.