Sen. Rick Scott wins Florida GOP primary as he seeks a second term

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott has handily won Florida’s Republican primary against two other opponents, moving on to face Democratic former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in November.

Mucarsel-Powell also won her election comfortably against three other candidates. This November, Scott has to first win a second term in the U.S. Senate before reaching his larger goal — winning Senate leadership, after retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell steps down.

The Florida primary also reaffirmed support for firebrand U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and picked the nominees to replace retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Posey in an election where local and state races were the main draw for voters in some areas.

Meanwhile, the Florida secretary of state’s office reported that some counties were having technical difficulties reporting results. The office said it was receiving accurate information on votes from individual counties but that the counties were having difficulty reporting them on public-facing websites.

Some results were not immediately available on county websites, but the glitch didn’t affect vote totals, elections officials said.

After his win, Scott said in an emailed statement: “I am proof that the American dream is alive, and I intend to fight like hell to make sure it stays alive.”

Mucarsel-Powell — who ran a campaign for the past year focused on abortion rights, gun safety and Latin American policy — said in a statement that she’s grateful for her primary victory.

“This victory isn’t just mine — it belongs to so many people who have stepped up to say that we deserve better here in Florida,” Mucarsel-Powell said.

In the statement, the former Miami congresswoman said that the campaign since day one has focused on “protecting our freedoms,” whether that involves abortion rights, affordability, education or gun safety.

“Let me be clear — I am running to represent every single Floridian in this state,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “This goes beyond Republicans vs. Democrats — we’re all done with extremists who don’t have our backs, we all deserve better than Rick Scott, and in November, we will win.”

Her hopes could be pinned on Vice President Kamala Harris inspiring Democrats to the polls as she faces former President Donald Trump.

Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian American and South American-born congressional member elected when she won in 2018, but she lost her reelection bid in 2020 to U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez.

All of Florida’s 27 incumbent members of Congress easily got through the primary, many without opposition. But the race in Congressional District 1 was a test to see if Gaetz’s penchant for disruption is supported by his constituents.

Despite former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy using a political committee to pump $3 million into the race to defeat Gaetz, he easily beat former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock.

“Thank you FL-01. I will never stop fighting for you,” Gaetz posted on the social platform X.

Barring an upset, Gaetz is set to win his fifth term in Congress, where he’s built a national reputation as a disruptor and a staunch ally of Trump. He is considered a lock to beat Democrat Gay Valimont in a district that tends to support Republicans by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy last year, and McCarthy in turn used his political action committee to target Gaetz. The committee aired commercials alleging that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz maintains his innocence.

In Congressional District 8, former Senate President Mike Haridopolos easily won the GOP primary to replace Posey. He is now considered to easy favorite to win in November in the conservative district along Florida’s central Atlantic coast.

In District 13 in Pinellas County along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Whitney Fox, a former marketing and communications director at the county transit authority, easily bested four Democratic opponents. She’ll now take on GOP freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, who faced no primary opposition.

The district leans Republican, but Fox expressed optimism she could prevail in November.

“Our shared hopes for affordable housing, reproductive freedom, and an economy that works for everyone unite us far more than any differences divide us,” Fox said in an email. “This campaign is about putting power back in the hands of working families. It’s about ensuring that whether you’re a teacher, a small business owner, or a retiree, your voice matters.”

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Dimmock’s last name. It is Dimmock, not Dimmick.

Stephany Matat, The Associated Press