Florida voters picked the Democratic and Republican candidates for their state’s critical governor and Senate races in Tuesday’s primary elections, setting up two of 2018’s most important campaigns.
Republicans Ron DeSantis easily won the GOP gubernatorial primary to replace Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
In a shocking upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum defeated establishment pick Gwen Graham. He supports a progressive agenda: a Medicare-for-all single-payer health care system, abolishing ICE, raising its minimum wage to $15 and raising the corporate tax rate to pay for education. He earned endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Tom Steyer. Before Gillum’s win, he was coming in at just 16 points in the most recent polls.
Democrats also have openings to pick up a few House seats in heavily gerrymandered Sunshine State, and both parties have decisions to make on congressional candidates in Tuesday’s primaries.
Polls close at 8 pm ET. Live results are below, powered by Decision Desk.
Florida governor primary
Ron DeSantis, Adam Putnam, and Gwen Graham lead the Republican and Democratic fields
Republican Primary
| Ron DeSantis | 913,954 | 56% | |
| Adam Putnam | 593,973 | 37% | |
| Bob White | 33,029 | 2% | |
| Timothy Devine | 21,398 | 1% | |
| Bob Langford | 20,090 | 1% | |
| Bruce Nathan | 15,412 | 1% | |
| Don Baldauf | 13,161 | 1% | |
| John Mercadante | 12,425 | 1% |
Rep. Ron DeSantis and state agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam are the two main contenders. DeSantis desperately sought, and outright asked for, Donald Trump’s endorsement and got it. That’s all you need in a state where you really can’t run too far to the right in a GOP primary. Meanwhile, Putnam, the establishment choice, sought to walk a tightrope of not disavowing Trump entirely while still criticizing DeSantis for being little more than a Trump puppet. It didn’t work.
Democratic Primary
| Andrew Gillum | 517,833 | 34% | |
| Gwen Graham | 474,484 | 31% | |
| Philip Levine | 306,605 | 20% | |
| Jeff Greene | 152,635 | 10% | |
| Chris King | 37,625 | 2% | |
| John Wetherbee | 15,716 | 1% | |
| Alex Lundmark | 9,876 | 1% |
Gwen Graham, a former member of Congress and daughter of a former governor and senator, was the presumed frontrunner. But Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has attracted a lot of excitement on the left — he supports Medicare-for-all and got the Bernie Sanders endorsement — and he surged to a late-breaking win.
Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and business leader Jeff Greene finished in double digits and had a lot of money on hand.
Florida Senate primary
Rick Scott has a clear path to the GOP nomination
Republican Primary
| Rick Scott | 1,452,875 | 89% |
| Roque De La Fuente | 186,611 | 11% |
This is one of 2018’s most competitive Senate races.
Scott is maybe the GOP’s best Senate recruit this cycle: a pretty popular two-term governor with as much money to spend as he wants. His money advantage — he’s outspent Dem Bill Nelson by a 4-to-1 margin thus far — may explain his narrow lead in the early polls against an incumbent in a year that overall favors Democrats.
Florida’s Sixth Congressional District
A tight race to succeed Republican Ron DeSantis
Republican Primary
| Michael Waltz | 32,833 | 42% |
| John Ward | 23,543 | 30% |
| Fred Costello | 21,023 | 27% |
DeSantis vacated this seat to run for governor. It was a competitive race to replace him: Michael Waltz is a Marine combat veteran who’s raised a lot of money, John Ward is a Navy vet who is also fundraising well, and former state Rep. Fred Costello has the endorsement of Florida Attorney General and Trump ally Pat Bondi and the NRA. Ultimately, Waltz won.
Democratic Primary
| Nancy Soderberg | 32,075 | 56% |
| John Upchurch | 13,062 | 23% |
| Stephen Sevigny | 12,596 | 22% |
Nancy Soderberg, former ambassador to the United Nations, is on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red-to-Blue list. She easily defeated Stephen Sevigny, a medical radiologist, and attorney John Upchruch.
Florida’s Seventh Congressional District
A rare pick-up opportunity for Republicans
Republican Primary
| Mike Miller | 30,620 | 54% |
| Scott Sturgill | 17,300 | 30% |
| Vennia Francois | 8,949 | 16% |
State Rep. Mike Miller, first elected in 2014, defeated his prime competition: business executiveScott Sturgill. They both raised six figures for their campaigns. Vennia Francois, a first-generation American whose family came to the United States from the Bahamas, was also on the ballot.
Florida’s 15th Congressional District
Two credible GOP candidates, and an establishment Dem battles the left
Republican Primary
| Ross Spano | 26,868 | 44% |
| Neil Combee | 20,577 | 34% |
| Sean Harper | 6,013 | 10% |
| Danny Kushmer | 4,061 | 7% |
| Ed Shoemaker | 3,376 | 6% |
Rep. Dennis Ross is stepping down. Current state Rep. Ross Spano was one of the two favorites for the GOP nod to replace him. Spano was the fundraising leader and got endorsements from Sen. Marco Rubio and Pam Bondi.
Democratic Primary
| Kristen Carlson | 24,470 | 53% |
| Andrew Learned | 14,488 | 32% |
| Raymond Peña | 6,895 | 15% |
Attorney Kristen Carlson defeated her competition: Navy vet and business leader Andrew Learned. Carlson describes herself as more moderate and got the Emily’s List endorsement, while Learned said that he would support Medicare-for-all and received the backing of the Indivisible grassroots group.
Florida’s 16th Congressional District
Democrats vie to challenge Vern Buchanan
Democratic Primary
| David Shapiro | 34,787 | 55% |
| Jan Schneider | 28,811 | 45% |
David Shapiro, a local attorney, is another name on the DCCC’s Red to Blue battleground list. He defeated Jan Schneider, who was the Democratic nominee for this district in 2016 and lost to Buchanan by nearly 20 points.
Florida’s 18th Congressional District
Republican Brian Mast faces challenges in primary and general
Republican Primary
| Brian Mast | 55,427 | 78% |
| Mark Freeman | 8,081 | 11% |
| Dave Cummings | 7,871 | 11% |
Rep. Brian Mast, first elected in 2016, voted for Obamacare repeal and the tax bill. He won his primary against Second Amendment-loving, environmentally conscious Dave Cummings and doctor Mark Freeman, who lost to Mast in the 2016 Republican primary.
Democratic Primary
| Lauren Baer | 34,922 | 60% |
| Pam Keith | 23,007 | 40% |
Another DCCC favorite won here: Lauren Baer, who worked in Barack Obama’s State Department. She beat attorney Pam Keith, who ran and lost in the Democratic primary for US Senate in 2016.
Florida’s 26th Congressional District
Carlos Curbelo awaits his Democratic opponent
Democratic Primary
| Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | 20,997 | 63% |
| Demetries Grimes | 12,095 | 37% |
DCCC-backed candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who works in nonprofits won against and Ret. Navy Cmdr. Demetries Grimes.
Republican incumbent Carlos Curbelo has represented this D+6 rated district since 2015, and was reelected even as the district voted for Hillary Clinton by 16 points in 2016. He’s a moderate Republican who has made headlines trying (and failing) to spur action on immigration reform within the House GOP.
Florida’s 27th Congressional District
A lively Republican primary to replace Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in toss-up race
Republican Primary
| Maria Elvira Salazar | 15,812 | 40% |
| Bruno Barreiro | 10,026 | 26% |
| Maria Peiro | 3,120 | 8% |
| Stephen Marks | 2,733 | 7% |
| Angie Chirino | 2,677 | 7% |
| Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera | 1,684 | 4% |
| Michael Ohevzion | 1,467 | 4% |
| Elizabeth Adadi | 775 | 2% |
| Gina Sosa | 760 | 2% |
In this crowded field, journalist Maria Elvira Salazar came out on top, defeating Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, former Vice Mayor of Doral Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera (who got the Miami Herald’s endorsement and has the unusual background of having said she was abducted by aliens), veteran Elizabeth Adadi, songwriter and Latin Grammy Award winner Angie Chirino, veteran and entrepreneur Michael Ohevzion, educator Maria Peiro, and documentary filmmaker Gina Sosa.
Democratic Primary
| Donna Shalala | 14,153 | 32% |
| David Richardson | 12,191 | 27% |
| Kristen Rosen Gonzalez | 7,783 | 18% |
| Matt Haggman | 7,510 | 17% |
| Michael Hepburn | 2,723 | 6% |
Bill Clinton’s former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, at 77, won the primary for this seat, defeating state Rep. David Richardson, former Miami Herald reporter Matt Haggman, Miami Beach Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, and former University of Miami academic adviser Michael Hepburn.