Updated 10:18 pm
In the Republican Primary to replace Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Fried, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson won with 65% of the vote.
In the Democratic Primary for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Naomi Blemur won with just over 50% of the vote.
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Updated 8:17 pm
The Associated Press reports that U.S. Rep. Val Demings won a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Florida and will face Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in November. Demings, a former police chief in Orlando, was under consideration in 2020 to be Joe Biden’s running mate.
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Updated 8:04 pm
The Associated Press reports that U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has won a Democratic primary for Florida governor. In November, Crist, a former Republican, will face GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a likely 2024 presidential contender.
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One of the most watched statewide races in Florida’s primary election today is the Democratic gubernatorial race to see who will take on Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in the Nov. 8 general election. U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried are the frontrunners, along with candidates Cadance Daniel and Robert L. Willis.
Crist previously served four years as Florida governor as a Republican before being elected to Congress as a Democrat in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Fried is a first-time elected official currently serving as the only statewide elected Democrat. She could become the sunshine state’s first woman governor if she wins her primary and defeats DeSantis in November.
Democrats will also be selecting a candidate to take on Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio in November. U.S. Representative and former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings is the frontrunner in this Democratic primary along with candidates Ricardo De La Fuente and William Sanchez.
Other statewide elections to watch include the race for Florida Attorney General. GOP incumbent Ashley Moody faces no primary challenger, but three candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination including Aramis Ayala, Jim Lewis, and Daniel Uhlfelder. Ayala is a former Orange County State Attorney who feuded with former Governor Rick Scott over her refusal to seek the death penalty in cases handled by her office. Lewis is a Ft. Lauderdale-based criminal defense attorney, and Uhlfelder is a panhandle lawyer who made national headlines after walking Florida beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper in opposition to the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are Republican and Democratic primary races for candidates seeking to replace Nikki Fried as the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. On the GOP side, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson faces James Shaw. On the other side of the aisle, candidates Naomi Esther Blemur, J.R. Gaillot, and Ryan Morales are seeking the Democratic nomination.
Once polls close at 7 p.m., tune into WGCU 90.1 FM/WMKO 91.7 FM for real-time election results throughout the night.
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