Alina Habba, former counsel for President Donald Trump, urged Florida Republicans on Newsmax on Thursday to stay engaged ahead of Tuesday's high-stakes special election, warning that a larger GOP majority is needed to advance the party's agenda in the House.
Habba, newly appointed interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, cautioned against complacency among Florida Republican voters in an interview on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," saying the GOP needs a stronger majority in Congress to "push things through."
Habba emphasized the importance of every GOP seat in Congress as the party looks to build enough support to advance key agenda items.
"We do have a serious vote. People can't get lazy," Habba said.
"We need to make sure that we can push things through. We've already seen the disruption that we can get from the judicial system when it comes to pushing through via injunctions and things of that nature."
Control of the House isn't on the line in Tuesday's special election in Florida, but Republicans are still eager to find replacements for former GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz to add some breathing room to their slender majority in the chamber.
State Sen. Randy Fine, a Republican endorsed by Trump, is locked in a tight race with Democrat Josh Weil for Waltz's seat.
Weil, a teacher and single father from Orlando, has significantly outraised Fine, collecting more than $7 million — most of it from small-dollar donations under $200, a sign of strong grassroots enthusiasm, according to campaign finance records reported by WUSF.
A recent poll conducted for Florida Politics showed the contest within the margin of error, effectively a toss-up.
She also reacted to the withdrawal of the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations — a move former President Donald Trump announced earlier Thursday, citing concerns about the House's narrow GOP majority, NBC News reported.
"I'm not privy to the details of what happened with Elise," Habba said. "I know her well. She's awesome. She would have been a great ambassador to the U.N. But obviously, she's great in her current role as well."
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Stefanik "will stay in Congress" as her nomination, which had been stalled for months, was formally pulled to preserve the party's slim margin in the House.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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