“We are thrilled to celebrate pro-choice champion Patrick Murphy on his victory in the Florida primary”, said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
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U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who resigned last month as Democratic National Committee chairwoman, fended off her first serious challenge since winning office in 2004 by beating Tim Canova, a Bernie Sanders-backed law professor.
Wasserman Schultz will face Joe Kaufman of Weston, FL, but she is the favorite in the heavily Democratic congressional district. Mr. Canova raised $3.3 million in mostly small-dollar donations from supporters of Mr. Sanders’ presidential campaign who were aggrieved over Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s handling of the presidential race in her former role.
Looking to face the victor of the Republican nomination in the November election are five Democrats, including Reps.
“Prefer people who work with both parties and take ideas from both parties”, says Marianne Gruskin who attended Murphy’s watch party tonight.
Even before Tuesday’s results, Rubio was already looking past Beruff and shifting his campaign to a general election contest. Rubio received more than 70 percent of the vote.
Hotly contested primaries developed to fill the open House seats of Murphy and Grayson, as well as those vacated by the retiring Gwen Graham (D), Ander Crenshaw (R) and Curt Clawson (R).
Rubio beat millionaire developer Carlos Beruff, the only major GOP candidate to stay in the race after Rubio chose to run for re-election two days before the deadline to make the ballot.
Rubio, while running for president, also held one of the worst Senate voting records in Washington, fueling rumors he just did not want to be a Senator. Rubio will face U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy in November’s general election after Murphy won his Democratic Party primary on Tuesday. But the presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton figures to cast a large shadow on the Senate race.
After a failed presidential run, Sen.
Another factor that could work in Rubio’s favor: If deep-pocketed GOP donors conclude by mid-October that Trump has no chance to win the presidency, expect them to start flooding Senate races in an attempt to keep Congress in Republican hands.
Republicans returned fire. U.S. Sen. But he almost cleared what had been a crowded GOP field with his last-minute turnabout.
While still critical of Rubio, Beruff said in the statement that he will vote for Rubio, calling him “the best of the remaining options”. Former state Sen. Al Lawson won the Democratic nomination in her stead.
FILE- In this October 14, 2015 file photo, Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla. speaks during a pre-legislative news conference, in Tallahassee, Fla.
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Marco Rubio launched his political comeback earlier on Tuesday night with a decisive victory in the Florida primary setting up a more winnable battle with Democrats, one that could determine control of the US Senate in November.
