Trump's endorsement faces first tests of his presidency in Florida special primary elections

The power of President Donald Trump’s endorsement will face the first tests of his second term Tuesday in a pair of special primary elections in Florida. 

Both of Trump’s preferred candidates — Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis in the 1st Congressional District and state Sen. Randy Fine in the 6th District — appear to be in strong positions, trouncing their primary opponents in fundraising and garnering support from outside groups. 

“Trump’s endorsement has loomed large in Florida Republican politics for most of a decade,” said Florida consultant Jamie Miller, a former executive director of the state GOP, noting Trump’s support was a crucial factor in propelling Gov. Ron DeSantis to victory in his 2018 primary.

“If you have a qualified candidate who doesn’t make a major mistake, that person is highly likely to win a primary,” Miller added.

Patronis is looking to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s pick for attorney general amid allegations of sexual misconduct in November. Gaetz announced his plans to resign after Trump had announced his plans to nominate him. Fine is vying to replace former Rep. Michael Waltz, who is now Trump’s national security adviser. 

The GOP primary winners will be heavily favored in the special general elections in the ruby-red districts, set for April 1. Both Patronis and Fine have been looking to tout Trump’s endorsement.

“President Trump told me, he said, ‘Jimmy,’ he said, ‘You watch. When I endorse you, a lot of people are gonna think twice about getting in,’” Patronis said in an interview Monday, recalling a phone call in late November. 

Trump publicly encouraged Patronis to run, and when he launched his campaign with Trump’s endorsement, Patronis said, he got calls from other potential candidates who had decided to step aside.  

“The same type of passion I’ve got in my heart is the same passion these folks have in their heart,” Patronis said. “They don’t want to go against the president. This [is] who the president feels like can best complement him in getting his agenda across the finish line.”

Still, several others decided to stay in the race: Patronis is one of 10 GOP candidates who qualified for the primary ballot in the 1st District, on the Florida Panhandle. But Patronis has far outraised his rivals, and he had $711,000 in his campaign account as of Jan. 8. 

His closest rival, Gene Valentino, who has self-funded much of his campaign, had $29,000 in his account, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. 

Fine, Trump’s pick in the 6th District to replace Waltz, faces less opposition as just one of three Republicans who qualified for the ballot. Fine, who declined to comment on the race, had $242,000 in his account as of Jan. 8, and none of the other GOP candidates reported raising any significant funds. 

Patronis and Fine have also received boosts from a handful of outside groups that have launched ads on the airwaves and in voters’ mailboxes. Defend American Jobs, a super PAC tied to the cryptocurrency industry, has spent a combined $700,000 on ads in both races, according to independent expenditure reports filed with the FEC. 

Patronis and King have leveraged their Trump endorsements, featuring photos showing them next to him prominently on their campaign websites.

Patronis has also invoked Trump on the airwaves, highlighting his call with Trump in a TV ad and on the radio. Both spots refer to the attempt to assassinate Trump at a Pennsylvania rally last year, with the TV ad featuring video of the shooting. Patronis described the event as a “watershed moment” and said he did not discuss referring to the assassination attempt with Trump’s team. 

Patronis and Fine also have endorsements from House GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson. And if they win Tuesday’s primaries, they will be in strong positions to carry the GOP-leaning districts in the special elections. Gaetz and Waltz won their re-elections last year by more than 30 points. 

The special elections could also help Johnson pad his slim majority in the House. But navigating that narrow majority will still be a challenge, even without Gaetz, who often battled with leadership and led the effort to oust Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker. 

Patronis, for example, said he could butt heads with GOP leaders and Trump over government spending, pointing to his experience as Florida’s chief financial officer. 

“I don’t tend to necessarily be the guy who’s going to blow things up,” he said. “But at the same time, I will not waste people’s money, and I have no problem calling out absurdity.”

Democrats are also competing in Tuesday’s primaries, although they will face uphill climbs in April.

Gay Valimont, a grassroots activist focused on preventing gun violence, who lost to Gaetz in November, is the only Democrat running in the 1st District. The top Democratic fundraisers in the 6th District include Josh Weil, a teacher, and George Selmont, an attorney.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: