WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, Aug 21, (AP): US Sen Rick Scott has handily won Florida’s Republican primary against two other opponents, moving on to face Democratic former US Rep Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in November.
Mucarsel-Powell also won her election comfortably against three other candidates. This November, Scott has to first win a second term in the US Senate before reaching his larger goal – winning Senate leadership, after retiring US Sen Mitch McConnell steps down.
The Florida primary also reaffirmed support for firebrand US Rep Matt Gaetz and picked the nominees to replace retiring Republican US Rep Bill Posey in an election where local and state races were the main draw for voters in some areas.
Meanwhile, the Florida secretary of state’s office reported that some counties were having technical difficulties reporting results. The office said it was receiving accurate information on votes from individual counties but that the counties were having difficulty reporting them on public-facing websites.
Some results were not immediately available on county websites, but the glitch didn’t affect vote totals, elections officials said.
After his win, Scott said in an emailed statement: “I am proof that the American dream is alive, and I intend to fight like hell to make sure it stays alive.”
Mucarsel-Powell – who ran a campaign for the past year focused on abortion rights, gun safety and Latin American policy – said in a statement that she’s grateful for her primary victory.
“This victory isn’t just mine – it belongs to so many people who have stepped up to say that we deserve better here in Florida,” Mucarsel-Powell said.
In the statement, the former Miami congresswoman said that the campaign since day one has focused on “protecting our freedoms,” whether that involves abortion rights, affordability, education or gun safety.