Wasserman Schultz came under fire in July following a massive hack of of almost 20,000 of the Democratic National Committee’s emails just ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
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Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), was a strong primary challenger for Wasserman Schultz, who stepped down in July as Democratic National Committee chairwoman after emails critical of Sanders were leaked.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) also defeated law professor Tim Canova in their Democratic primary.
Canova, 56, raised $3.3 million, according to his filings with the Federal Elections Commission, an nearly unheard-of amount for a first-time candidate and primary challenger.
Canova had raised over $3.3 million in his bid to best the embattled incumbent over the course of the primary.
Wasserman Schultz, 49, raised $3 million but has been assisted by spending from political action committees. That has allowed him to operate four field offices and run TV ads. “No matter what is thrown her way, Debbie gets back up and keeps fighting”, said Florida Democratic Party chair Allison Tant. With 82 percent of precincts reporting, Wasserman Schultz has 57.2 percent of the votes to Canova’s 42.8 percent. The district is heavily Democratic, making Wasserman Schultz the big favorite in November. They say she is part of a Wall Street takeover of the party.
Wasserman Schultz has accused Canova of not being a strong supporter of Israel, a key issue in a district with a large Jewish population. With the help of small donors, Canova outraised Wasserman Schultz in the second quarter.
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Sanders vowed to campaign against Wasserman Schultz, . but in his own Florida primary against Clinton, he lost Wasserman Schultz’s district by roughly three votes to one.
