Florida Primary – Pictured: Florida Senate – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Cheri Alguire
TALLAHASSEE, FL. – The Florida primary on Tuesday is going to be very low-key in comparison to the crazy turns and twists of the presidential election. The sole statewide contest on the ballot is for Republican Rick Scott’s Senate seat; Scott will find out in November who he will face.
The primary election-related incentive will be local contests, particularly those involving school board seats, as Republican Governor Ron DeSantis works to ensure that conservative candidates gain seats in many districts.
What to anticipate from the Florida primary is as follows:
United States Senate
Although Scott is technically in the primary, it is predicted that he will easily defeat two competitors who have little funds and name recognition. He has the advantage of being the incumbent, the support of his party, and he has already invested millions of his own funds—roughly $27 million—in his reelection.
Former US Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who was elected to Congress in 2018 as the first woman from Ecuador and the first from South America, is the front-runner in the Democratic primary. After one term, she was no longer seated.
Leaders in the party support Mucarsel-Powell, who has funded $12 million for the contest. Scott is already running her campaign as though she will be his opponent, but she must first defeat businessman and Navy veteran Stanley Campbell, businessman and Army veteran Rod Joseph, and former four-term Florida state representative Brian Rush.
Congress
If nothing unexpected happens, the incumbents seeking 27 of the 28 House seats in the state should be secure. Republican Bill Posey now occupies the one available seat in a conservative district on Florida’s central Atlantic coast.
Shortly after former Senate President Mike Haridopolos qualified for the election, Posey declared his resignation. He endorsed Haridopolos right away; he is currently up against tech entrepreneur John Hearton. The front-runner in November will be the GOP primary victor. Daniel McDow and Sandy Kennedy, both Democrats, are vying for the Democratic nomination.
Representative Matt Gaetz’s candidacy for a fifth term in the US Congress is also receiving some attention, primarily due to the $3 million that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s political group has spent disparaging Gaetz and supporting his primary opponent, Aaron Dimmock. McCarthy’s intervention in the election follows Gaetz’s leadership of a group of eight far-right Republicans who, with the aid of Democratic members, ousted McCarthy from the speakership.
The vicious accusations on Gaetz are the result of a probe into drug usage and sexual misconduct by the House Ethics Committee. However, Gaetz enjoys a devoted following in the district, which covers Pensacola and a large portion of the Panhandle, and the accusations are not brand-new. Gaetz has easily won primaries with between 65 percent and 80 percent of the vote since taking office in 2016.
Local and state races
Florida Democrats have filed a candidate for each of the 120 House and 40 Senate seats for the first election ever. Republicans will have to redistribute their wealth, which is a commendable accomplishment, but Democrats lost control of the Senate in 1992 and the House in 1996.
In both chambers, Republicans have established a supermajority. After November, the parties in a few seats may switch, but Republicans will probably continue to control the majority of the Legislature.
Given that DeSantis is supporting 23 candidates for school boards in 14 counties this season and is focusing on 14 incumbent members, school board races will receive more attention in a number of districts. He has this as part of his plan to combat “woke” mindset in public education.
Republicans outnumbered Democrats 5.3 million to 4.3 million at the primary voter deadline, with 3.5 million voters opting not to register with a party.
A low primary turnout overall is indicated by the fact that, as of Friday morning, roughly 1.6 million of Florida’s 13.5 million voters have cast ballots by mail or at early voting locations. Approximately 515,000 votes have been cast by Democrats, compared to 733,00 votes by Republicans.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
