McCain needs to beat Ann Kirkpatrick, who won her Arizona senate primary unopposed for the Democrats.
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Florida is a competitive presidential race, with an edge to Clinton, but Rubio’s candidacy gave Republicans a shot in the arm to hold that Senate seat.
Wasserman Schultz and McCain were both expected to win their primary elections.
“But I just couldn’t be at peace with the idea that we were going to not just potentially lose the Senate seat but lose the balance of power in the Senate at this critical moment in our nation’s history”, he told supporters after claiming victory following Tuesday’s vote. Rep. David Jolly dropped out after Rubio announced he planned to enter the race.
“I’m very excited to debate Sen”. “He’s conservative enough for me”.
The incumbent won 57 percent of the vote to Mr. Canova’s 43 percent with 56 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press. Some were unhappy with his voting record, while others dislike what they see as his continued presidential ambitions.
“I am so humbled to be standing here in front of so many people that have been with me for so long to be the Democratic nominee to be the next senator from the State of Florida”, Murphy said.
“With Hillary Clinton, we would have four more years of the same failed economic policies that have left us with a stagnant economy”, Rubio said.
Rubio had pledged to return to private life, but reversed course and launched his Senate re-election bid, scaring almost every challenger out of what had been a crowded Republican field. The other two candidates on the ballot failed to gain any traction or donations. That’s a potent issue in a state that’s ground zero for the disease, which can cause severe brain defects in babies.
Marco Rubio has consistently led the race since rejoining it, averaging a five-point lead in the polls on Murphy.
The senator, who began launching attacks against Murphy before the primary, delivered his victory speech to supporters in English and Spanish.
“Guess what, senator?” Murphy said Tuesday.
On the Republican side, along with getting past Beruff, Rubio bested Land O’Lakes minister Ernie Rivera and former Pinellas County sheriff’s detention deputy Dwight Mark Anthony Young. 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. Like Ward, Beruff has embraced Trump and has accused Rubio of “tap dancing” around the presidential nominee and only offering him lukewarm support. But he still emphasizes their many policy differences. The Jupiter congressman from Florida’s 18th District was confident enough in his eventual victory over Alan Grayson that he chose to stop running advertisements in Florida on August 19 in order to save money and focus on his battle with Marco Rubio in November, according to the Miami Herald.
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Democrats hope to reduce the GOP’s 17-10 advantage in Florida’s U.S. House delegation now that court-mandated redistricting has chipped away at the advantages of some incumbents in a state with 4.4 million Republicans, 4.7 million Democrats and 2.9 million voters who aren’t registered with any party.
