A similar night of consolidation for the Democratic mainstream means Rubio will face the Florida congressman Patrick Murphy, who comfortably beat off his party’s leftwing challenger Alan Grayson on Tuesday night.
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Murphy has criticized Rubio as caring more about his political ambitions then his constituents, while Republicans have criticized Murphy for embellishing his resume and lack of experience.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Rubio received 1,019,393 votes and his challenger Manatee County residential developer Carlos Beruff received 262,498 votes. The other two candidates on the ballot failed to gain any traction or donations.
Republicans now outnumber Democrats 17-10 in the state’s congressional delegation.
“Now we’ve got to get out there and meet even more people, hear what’s on their minds, and make sure we’re doing all we can to encourage others to get out and vote this November”, said Lawson.
“Control of the Senate may very well come down to the race in Florida”, said Rubio.
“Senator Marco Rubio is the embodiment of the worst of Washington”, Murphy said.
Rubio also has to fight the impression he’s just waiting to run for president again. “He told us he doesn’t like the job and just yesterday he told us he said he won’t commit to a six-year term”, Murphy said. “Well, guess what, senator?”
But Grayson’s candidacy cratered and Tuesday was running only slightly ahead of lawyer and former Navy officer Pamela Keith. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., blasted Murphy in a statement congratulating Rubio for his victory.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy has won the Democratic nomination to face Republican Sen. “After spending the summer running from scandal and avoiding voters, Murphy has given Floridians little reason to believe he’ll work on their behalf in Washington”.
Rubio, who ended his presidential campaign after losing the Florida primary to Donald Trump in March, had insisted he wouldn’t seek re-election to the Senate.
In March, Trump ended Rubio’s presidential run by trouncing him in the Florida primary to cap a race in which the NY businessman taunted the first-term senator as “little Marco”.
It may be tough for the 58-year-old Beruff to beat his fellow Miamian, Rubio, who has held the position since taking office in 2011. Democrats think Trump’s past incendiary comments about Hispanics and his hardline stance on immigration will turn off a key segment of Florida voters, and the spillover will harm Rubio.
The Democratic race was expected to be closer, with Grayson drawing on his support among progressive activists to topple the centrist Murphy. Murphy was also dogged by questions about whether he had exaggerated aspects of his biography.
While Grayson has more consistently voted for Democratic priorities and Obama’s agenda, many party leaders thought he was unelectable because of his brash demeanor and domestic issues that have put him in the spotlight.
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Trump, who faces Clinton in the November 8 presidential election, has endorsed both McCain and Rubio in their re-election bids even though he has rocky relations with both. But he struggled as a political unknown looking to unseat an incumbent whose political brand remains strong among Florida Republican voters.
