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House Republicans brush off Stefanik's Trump admin upheaval amid high-stakes Florida race

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House Republicans brush off Stefanik's Trump admin upheaval amid high-stakes Florida race

House Republicans are brushing off reports of anxiety over three historically red congressional seats, as the special election for two of them looms just a day away.

“Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine are exactly who House Republicans need to join our team,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital last week, referring to candidates running in Florida’s special election Tuesday.

Patronis is running for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which was vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Fine is running for Florida 6th District, previously held by former Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who now serves as U.S. national security advisor.

Republicans have conceded they have been far outraised in those districts, and despite their likely victory, Democrats’ over-performance has reportedly raised concerns about the GOP’s fate in other areas of the country.

ELISE STEFANIK DETAILS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ DECISION TO REMAIN IN CONGRESS AFTER TRUMP REQUEST TO PULL UN NOMINATION

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Rep. Elise Stefanik is back in Congress as Republicans fight to hold onto seats in Florida, where GOP hopefuls Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis are running. (Getty Images)

It comes after suggestions that GOP discord in a Republican-favored district in upstate New York made some people nervous about Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., ascending to President Donald Trump’s nomination as ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik withdrew her nomination on Friday in a decision that blindsided even lower levels of House GOP leadership, sources told Fox News Digital.

Democrats immediately seized on the news as evidence that Republicans were worried about losing her seat in New York’s 21st District – something Republicans flatly denied, while blaming the state’s progressive governor for signaling she would slow-walk the special election to replace Stefanik.

“It was a combination of the New York corruption that we’re seeing under Kathy Hochul, special elections and the House margin,” Stefanik said on “Hannity” Friday. “I’ve been in the House. It’s tough to count these votes every day. And we are going to continue to defy the political prognosticators and deliver, deliver victory on behalf of President Trump and, importantly, the voters across this country.”

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TRUMP ASKS STEFANIK TO WITHDRAW FROM UN AMBASSADOR CONTENTION OVER RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY

Florida state Rep. Randy Fine speaks during a special session, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee. (AP)

Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital, “We’d win this seat in a special election, and we’ll win it in a general election.”

Trump won the district by 20% in 2024, and Stefanik won every county during that same election cycle.

He told reporters at the White House last week, “We cannot take a chance. We have a slim margin,” and said he did not know who would be running to replace her.

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But the president has also been busy at work in Florida, where he held tele-town halls for both Patronis and Fine over the weekend.

While the Democrats are the underdogs in both races, they’re winning the fundraising battle.

Democrat Gay Valimont hauled in over $6 million from Jan. 9 through March 12, compared to just $1.1 million for Patronis in Florida’s 1st District. 

Orlando teacher Josh Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by raising $9.3 million compared to roughly $600,000 for Republican state lawmaker Fine in the Sunshine State’s 6th District.

The cash discrepancy in the 6th District race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine in the closing days of the campaign, with conservative super PACs launching ads spotlighting Trump’s support of Fine.

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Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

They have no predictions of success, however, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling reporters earlier this month, “These districts are so Republican, there would ordinarily be no reason to believe that the races will be close, but what I can say, almost guaranteed, is that the Democratic candidate in both of these Florida special elections will significantly overperform.”

But it has not alarmed the GOP’s core fundraising machines. Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that neither the NRCC nor the Congressional Leadership Fund – the top super PAC supporting House Republicans – are putting any resources into either race.

“I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., told reporters earlier this month.

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But Hudson added that Fine is “doing what he needs to do. He’s on TV now,” and emphasized, “we’re going to win the seat. I’m not concerned at all.”

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Boston, MA

Bruins Close Homestand with 6-2 Loss to Canadiens | Boston Bruins

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Bruins Close Homestand with 6-2 Loss to Canadiens | Boston Bruins


BOSTON –– Despite a fiery start, the Boston Bruins lost their footing in the third period and ultimately fell 6-2 to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at TD Garden.

“Even after the first period, guys came ready to play today. They were very excited, so it was good,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “But the goals we gave up – for me, it’s a lot of individual mistakes, fatigue. Guys were just mentally not sharp.”

​Sammy Blais put the Canadiens ahead 1-0 at 11:08 of the first period, but the Bruins soon earned the lead.

Mason Lohrei kept the puck in the zone and carried it down the left side before hitting Marat Khusnutdinov with a cross-crease pass, which he one-timed past Montreal netminder Jacob Fowler at 12:25. Khusnutdinov’s fifth goal of the year made it 1-1 and extended his point streak to three games.

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Alex Steeves potted a last-minute tally for the 2-1 lift while on the power play. David Pastrnak dished the puck over to Steeves in the right circle, where he sniped it home at 19:42. It was Steeves’ eighth goal of the season, and first PPG of his NHL career. The loss overshadowed that for the forward, though.

“It’s terrible, it stinks. Really, this whole homestand, going into break, it’s unfortunate,” Steeves said. “But I think it’s moments like these where you find out how tight the group is. I know we have a tight group, and I know we’ll bounce back from this and we’ll be stronger because of it. Stings for now.”

Viktor Arvidsson – who played in his first game since Dec. 11 after working through a lower-body injury – picked up the secondary assist on the scoring play. The forward was back on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha.

“It was nice to be back and skating again and battling and stuff and be on the bench,” Arvidsson said. “Be with the guys. It felt good.”

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Presbytery fundraiser will eliminate medical debt for thousands across Allegheny County

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Pittsburgh Presbytery fundraiser will eliminate medical debt for thousands across Allegheny County






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Connecticut

At least four injured after multi-vehicle accident involving bus in Bridgeport, per police

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At least four injured after multi-vehicle accident involving bus in Bridgeport, per police


At least three people were taken to local hospitals after a multi-vehicle accident involving a public transit bus in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Tuesday, according to the Bridgeport Police Department.

The collision took place at around 7:40 p.m. on the 500 block of Water Street, where officials located a Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) bus that struck at least six other vehicles and a wall of the Bridgeport train station.

Once at the scene, emergency medical officials transported several individuals to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Two people were taken to Bridgeport Hospital, and two others to St. Vincent’s Medical Center; the extent of their injuries was unknown, per authorities. 

An MTA Facility Manager has responded to the scene to assess the structural damage, according to police.

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Train service was not impacted on the Metro-North lines as a result of the nearby collision. However, traffic was impacted by the closure of the northbound lane of Water Street between State Street and John Street.

The Bridgeport Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team reported to the site of the crash to examine the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Bridgeport Police Department Traffic Division, Sergeant Darryl Wilson, at 203-576-7640.



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