Embattled Republican Rep. Ross Spano lost a primary challenge in Florida’s 15th Congressional District to Lakeland City Commissioner Scott Franklin.
The results of another GOP primary in Sunshine State set up a highly anticipated matchup between Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell this fall in a field battle district that blew from red to blue in 2018.
Meanwhile, in Wyoming, the former Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis announced a victory with CNN, which projected she would win the GOP primary for an open Senate seat, a result that creates an opportunity to support the ranks of Republican women senators.
Spano lost a GOP primary on Tuesday night after being embroiled in ethical issues during his first term in office, which opened the door for attacks by his opponent.
Last November, Spano said it intended to “cooperate fully with the Department of Justice” after the House Ethics Committee announced that at the department’s request it would postpone a review of allegations that Spano may have obtained bad loans in more than federal campaign contribution limits.
Spano said at the time, “We acknowledged that mistakes were made in connection with the campaign’s loans, but those mistakes were completely unintentional and unintentional,” he added. to look . “
His main opponent Franklin solved the problem, with one campaign ad that overpowered the word “CRIMINAL” in all capital letters over an image of Spano. Another ad says via voiceover, “Whether Spano is incompetent or corrupt, he should not be your congressman.”
Spano, meanwhile, campaigned as a “stupid Trump ally” and his campaign accused Franklin of not being a true conservative.
Spano was also endorsed by the top three House Republican leaders: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise and House GOP Conference President Liz Cheney.
Franklin’s campaign was supported by the encouragement of one of Spano’s own House Republican colleagues: GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, representing the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Inside Elections, a nonpartisan political analysis published by CNN political analyst Nathan Gonzales, values the 15th District as a lying Republican in the November general election.
General election matchup set up in competitive Florida district
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez will be Democratic rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a newcomer, takes over in what is expected to be a competitive general election contest.
CNN projects that Gimenez, which had a prominent platform during the coronavirus crisis, on Tuesday won the GOP primarily for Florida’s 26th District.
Mucarsel-Powell took the seat in 2018 after taking GOP commitment Carlos Curbelo in a district that voted Hillary Clinton by 16 points.
Gimenez raised more than $ 1.1 million as of July 29, but the introduced Democrat raised much more on the same date with a haul of close to $ 4 million, according to FEC data.
Gonzales rates the 26th District as Tilt Democratic – and it’s one of the few races where recent rating changes have been shifted in favor of the GOP.
Wyoming on course to support female Republican ranks in the Senate
Cynthia Lummis, who represented Wyoming’s at-large House seat from 2009 to 2017, won a GOP primary for the House of Representatives race to complete the seat left by retired GOP Sen. Mike Enzi.
Lummis, who was the only woman in the House Freedom Caucus during her time in Congress, competed against a full field of Republican candidates, but led the field in both name recognition and fundraising. She also married a long list of candidates, including from Trump and Wyoming GOP Sens. Enzi and John Barrasso.
With her primary win, Lummis will be in a good position this fall to lift the Senate seat into the deep red state. That would add to the ranks of Republican female senators, whose numbers run the risk with four of the nine women considered vulnerable by 2020.
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