St. Petersburg, Florida (CNN) -- In the first major ballot box test of 2014, the GOP won. Republican David Jolly edged out Democrat Alex Sink to win Tuesday's special election in Florida's 13th Congressional District. Jolly will fill out the term of his former boss, Republican Rep. Bill Young, who died in October. Young, first elected to Congress in 1970, was the longest-serving Republican in the House. With national Republicans framing the race as a referendum on Obamacare and a massive infusion of outside ad money to try to influence the outcome, pundits have looked to the Florida race as a bellwether for November's midterm elections.
@highlight
Florida's 13th Congressional District is a swing district in a swing state
@highlight
Republican David Jolly defeats Democrat Alex Sink in the special election
@highlight
Republicans say the victory shows that Democrats are on the defensive with Obamacare
@highlight
Campaign spending topped last year's special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts
David Jolly
Jolly
David Jolly
With @placeholder's win keeping the House seat in GOP hands, the Democrats still need win 17 seats in November to regain control of the chamber.
GOP
Republican
Republican
Republicans
With Jolly's win keeping the House seat in @placeholder hands, the Democrats still need win 17 seats in November to regain control of the chamber.
Democrats
With Jolly's win keeping the House seat in GOP hands, the @placeholder still need win 17 seats in November to regain control of the chamber.
Obamacare
Obamacare
While she highlighted how the @placeholder has helped people, she also noted the law has flaws and said she was open to GOP proposals to amend some of the measure's requirements.
Alex Sink
Alex Sink
@placeholder was the candidate national Democrats wanted in this race, and she faced nominal opposition in January's primary.