Rubio, Meek, Sink, Webster Are Winners ... Some Races Still Undecided
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
By: Nicole Creston

August 24 - Most of Florida's races have been decided, but a few are leaving voters hanging.

Marco Rubio captured the Republican U.S. Senate nomination early, spending most of the night with 85 percent of the vote. He’ll be facing Independent candidate Charlie Crist and, as of tonight, Democrat Kendrick Meek. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Meek has 57 percent of the vote to billionaire Jeff Greene’s 31.

In the gubernatorial primary, Florida CFO Alex Sink also got the nod very quickly, with 77 percent of the vote.

It was a long night on the Republican side, though. In the 11th hour, the Associated Press and the Orlando Sentinel called the race for health care executive Rick Scott. Scott had a slim lead with 47 percent support over Attorney General Bill McCollum's 43 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting. Scott gave an acceptance speech soon after that announcement, but McCollum did not immediately concede.

In the Attorney General’s race, the post McCollum is vacating, the Democratic side has a winner, according to Associated Press and the Orlando Sentinel. Dan Gelber won 59 percent of the vote to Dave Aronberg’s 41. Pam Bondi has been named a winner in the tight Republican race, with 38 percent of the vote to Jeff Kottkamp’s 33. Holly Benson ranked third, with 29 percent.

On the local side, the race for Orange County Mayor is going to a runoff.

Former County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs came in first in the four-way contest, with 42 percent of the vote. She’ll face off against current County Commissioner Bill Segal in November.  He came in second with 23 percent support. County Commissioner Linda Stewart came in a close third with 19 percent of the vote; businessman Matthew Falconer got 15 percent support.

Orange County has also chosen the state’s first elected school board chair. With all precincts reporting, former State Representative Bill Sublette has 61 percent of the vote, so there will be no need for a runoff. Former charter school operator Leona Rachman trails Sublette with 20 percent of the vote; former Orange County Commissioner Homer Hartage has 18 percent.

There is a winner in the Republican primary race for U.S. House District 8.  Daniel Webster will go up against Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson. Webster has 40 of the vote to Todd Long’s 23 percent, with all precincts reporting.

But the Republican primary race for U.S. House District 24 is still a nail biter. State House Representative Sandy Adams has 30 percent of the vote and former Winter Park Commissioner Karen Diebel has 29. Former Ruth’s Chris CEO Craig Miller has 28 percent, making this a virtual three-way tie with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

The winner will go up against Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, who won her primary with 78 percent of the vote.