Wisconsin and Florida special elections provide early warning signs to Trump, Republicans

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

69% : For voters in both districts, the clear draw was Trump.
67% : Trump won it in November by 626 votes.
66% : "This is the functional equivalent of Republicans running a competitive race in the district that is represented by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries beforehand, invoking a liberal favorite whom Trump often denigrates.
56% : " Major shifts in Wisconsin Trump won Wisconsin in November by 0.8 percentage points, or fewer than 30,000 votes.
46% : READ MORE: Republicans win Florida special elections in Trump strongholds by narrower margins than in 2024 The elections -- the first major contests since Trump's return to power -- were seen as an early measure of voter sentiment as Trump works with unprecedented speed to dramatically upend the federal government, clashing with the courts and seeking revenge as he tests the bounds of presidential power.
38% : The pair of wins gave Republicans a 220-213 margin in the House of Representatives, when concerns about a thin GOP majority led Trump to pull the nomination of New York Rep. Elise Stefanik to be United Nations ambassador.
30% : The party that loses the presidency in November typically picks up seats in the next midterm elections, and Tuesday's results provided hope for Democrats -- who have faced a barrage of internal and external criticism about their response to Trump -- that they can follow that trend.
28% : Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and podcaster whose group worked alongside Musk to boost conservative Brad Schimel in Wisconsin, argued Tuesday's Supreme Court loss underscored a fundamental challenge for Republicans, particularly in races where Trump is not on the ballot.
28% : Crawford won Kenosha and Racine counties, both of which went for Trump over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
27% : In the marquee race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, the conservative judge endorsed by Trump and backed by Musk and his groups to the tune of $21 million lost by a significant margin in a state Trump won in November.
26% : " Republicans warn against drawing national conclusions Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said that part of the challenge for Republicans had been "trying to connect the dots" to turn the state Supreme Court race into one about Trump -- a difficult task in a state judicial race.
14% : "If you're somebody who showed up for Trump because you feel forgotten, you don't typically show up to vote in" these kinds of elections, he said, imagining voters asking themselves: "What does this have to do with Trump?" Still, Walker cautioned against reading the tea leaves too closely.

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