Florida congressman diagnoses GOP's blue tsunami losses: 'We failed to make them think we cared about them'

Republicans lost both chambers of Congress by wide margins on election night, but Florida Republican Representative Randy Fine says his own result offers a lesson. Speaking exclusively with Fox News Digital, Fine argued that the party misjudged what voters wanted and cautioned that the next two years will be "ugly" as the GOP confronts Democrats on immigration and other divisive matters.

Fine was among the few Republicans nationwide to improve on his previous showing. He won his special election by 14 points even though $14 million was spent against him, then took this week's race by 19. He credits constituents who want a fighter who says what they believe, is not guided by polling, and works on casework, illegal immigration and bringing federal money home. Because he sensed the political currents were running against Republicans, he treated his campaign with great seriousness.

Florida bucked the national pattern: Republicans there kept the governor's office and the Senate seat and held a 20-8 advantage in the state's U. S. House delegation. Fine said he found it hard to explain the gap, suggesting Floridians recognize their state's good fortune and do not want to spoil it.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →