House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks during his visit to Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., campaign headquarters on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, in Miami.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) beat ex-Rep. Joe Garcia (D) to hold Florida’s 26th district in the GOP column in the fight to retain the GOP House majority.

Curbelo was among the first House Republicans to criticize Donald Trump, but the tide of anti-Trump sentiment plagued him throughout the campaign.

Ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sought to tie him to Trump’s hardline immigration stance, and his Democratic opponent, Garcia, hammered him over his stated refusal to vote for Hillary Clinton instead of the Republican nominee.

The race was in many ways a replay of 2014, the first time the candidates ran against each other. That year, Garcia was the incumbent, having held the seat for one term in what was then a newly-created district. Curbelo defeated Garcia, who struggled to distance himself from a top aide who was sentenced to jail for trying to submit fake absentee ballot applications.

This time around, Garcia was on the defensive again when a secret recording emerged of him telling supporters that Clinton “is under no illusions that you want to have sex with her, or that she’s going to seduce you.” Garcia apologized, calling the remark “poorly worded.”

Despite the controversy, the race remained tight into the fall.