In Florida’s Tuesday night primaries, Democratic congressional incumbents secured wins despite a redrawn map, though scandal-plagued Republican Rep. Cory Mills was not so fortunate.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won the Democratic primary in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, defeating a field of Black rivals in the majority-minority district.
AP called the race for Ms. Wasserman Schultz less than a half-hour after polls closed in fast-counting Florida, when she had almost 51% of the vote.
Also Tuesday, moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz trounced Oliver Larkin, a democratic socialist, in a battle to become the nominee in the 25th Congressional District.
AP called the race for Mr. Moskowitz when he had 64% of the vote against Mr. Larkin’s 36%.
Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s current district was redrawn to favor Republicans, compelling her to run elsewhere.
The seat is vacant due to the resignation of Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who has been charged with stealing $5 million in federal COVID relief funds and using them for her congressional campaign.
But Ms. Cherfilus-McCormick, whose resignation allowed her to avoid possible expulsion from Congress after the House Ethics Committee found her guilty, did not withdraw her reelection bid.
However, she ran fourth.
Midterm redistricting, spurred by a Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act gave Florida a much more GOP-friendly map.
Mr. Trump had called on Republican-led states to redraw their maps to inprove GOP chances in November, though Florida did not immediately do so as the state bans partisan redistricting. Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state Republicans portrayed their move as complying with the Supreme Court’s June decision barring racial gerrymandering.
The redistricting also forced Mr. Moskowitz to run in a redrawn district, which follows the coast from Delray Beach to Miami Beach.
It is rated a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report and is a closely watched battleground.
Mr. Larkin’s calls for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Electoral College, and a $25 minimum wage did not win over conservatives and independents in a swing district.
Mr. Moskowitz, a centrist Democrat who previously served in Mr. DeSantis’ administration occasionally crosses party lines to vote for Republican-crafted bills such as the Laken Riley Act.
On the Republican side, Mr. Mills lost in District 7 to challenger Ryan Elijah on Tuesday night, trailing him by 5 percentage points.
Mr. Elijah is a former news anchor.
Mr. Mills is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee on allegations of domestic violence and campaign finance law violations. A court previously issued a restraining order preventing Mr. Mills from contacting an ex-girlfriend. He has denied the accusations.
President Trump endorsed Mr. Mills in February, but left out his name when listing endorsed candidates on social media shortly before the primary.
In Florida’s 19th Congressional District, Jim Schwartzel, a local businessman, defeated Trump-endorsed Catalina Lauf and won the Republican nomination to fill the seat Rep. Byron Donalds is vacating to run for governor.
AP called the race for Mr. Schwartzel with almost 30% of the vote while Ms. Lauf trailed with under 22% of the vote.
The crowded race was full of familiar faces.
Ms. Lauf has run for Congress twice in Illinois, and the crowded field also included two Republican former lawmakers: former New York Rep. Chris Collins, and former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn. Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis also ran.
In the governor’s race, Trump-endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds appeared poised to easily clinch the Republican nomination to succeed Mr. DeSantis, having almost 50% of the counted vote. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins was the runner-up, with 25% of the vote, and online provocateur James Fishback came in third at 10%.
David Jolly, who previously served in the U.S. House as a Republican, won the Democratic nomination handily, taking over 60% of the votes.
In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Sen.Ashley Moody, who was appointed by Mr. DeSantis to succeed now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also won without significant challenge, winning almost 80% of the votes.
In the Democratic Senate primary, state Rep. Angie Nixon defeated Alex Vindman with almost 56% of the votes.
Mr. Vindman’s brother, Eugene, is a Democratic House lawmaker representing a Virginia district. Ms. Nixon is a hard-left candidate and member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Florida, which has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2012, is a long-shot state for Democrats in November.
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