Florida's Latest News

Angie Nixon wins Florida Democratic Senate nomination, setting up November race against Ashley Moody

Florida Democrats nominated state Rep. Angie Nixon for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, handing a decisive primary victory to a progressive Jacksonville lawmaker who raised far less money than her better-funded opponent.

Nixon defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official who became nationally known after testifying during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. According to The Associated Press, Vindman had outraised Nixon by more than 16-to-1.

The result sets up a November general election matchup against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio left the Senate to become secretary of state in the Trump administration.

Moody is running to hold the seat for the remainder of Rubio’s term, while Nixon is seeking to become the first Democrat elected statewide in Florida in a decade marked by Republican dominance.

Byron Donalds, David Jolly advance to November showdown for Florida governor

Florida voters set up a high-profile general election matchup for governor Tuesday, choosing Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly as their party nominees.

Donalds, a rising Republican star backed by President Donald Trump, will face Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later became an independent before joining the Democratic Party. The winner will succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

The contest will help determine Florida’s political direction after years of Republican control and will give voters a choice between two candidates with different party histories and visions for the state.

Donalds won the Republican nomination after receiving Trump’s support in the primary. His victory puts him in position to seek the governorship as Florida’s first Black governor.

Crist wins big over Welch, but the St. Petersburg mayor's race will go to a runoff

The battle for St. Peterburg mayor will be a runoff between incumbent Ken Welch and former governor and congressman Charlie Crist, who score a significant victory in Tuesday’s primary.

Crist claimed 35% of the vote to Welch’s 20.5% to head the nonpartisan race of six candidates. Since neither got more than 50%, both will advance to the general election on Nov. 3.

Former city Fire Chief Jim Large (18%) and city council member Brandi Gabbard (17%) were close behind Welch.

Crist, 70, thanked volunteers and supporters in a cramped Cassis restaurant on downtown’s Beach Drive during a short victory speech.

"I’m full of gratitude and no attitude,” he said. “You know, we got a 15-point lead. That's incredible. Over an incumbent. You know, it's just, it's very humbling, and we have a long way to go, about 70 days to Nov. 3."

Blaise Ingoglia, Annette Taddeo poised for General Election showdown in CFO race

Two veterans of the Legislature are moving on to a General Election matchup for the Chief Financial Officer post.

Republican incumbent CFO Blaise Ingoglia will face former Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo come Nov. 3. Both had substantially more financial resources than their respective Primary competitors, according to the Florida Division of Elections count.

Ingoglia racked up 68.91% of the vote in the GOP Primary as of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. His Republican challenger, Frank William Collige, garnered 31.09% of the vote. There were 1.59 million votes cast.

Taddeo earned 60.26% of the vote in the Democratic Primary. That far outpaced her Democratic opponent, Earle Ford, who got 34.2% in that party’s contest that generated 1.16 million votes.