WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has won the Democratic nomination for governor in Florida, putting him in position to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis this fall.
In selecting Crist, Florida Democrats sided with a candidate backed by many in the party’s establishment who viewed him as the safest choice. The 66-year-old Crist defeated Nikki Fried, the state agriculture commissioner.
DeSantis, the Republican incumbent, did not face a primary challenger.
Attorney General
| Name | Votes | Percentage | Contributions | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aramis Ayala | 620,402 | 44.76% | $116,855.17 | $108,451.23 |
| Jim Lewis | 375,050 | 27% | $43,637.07 | $36,952.58 |
| Daniel Uhlfelder | 390,642 | 28.1% | $369,868.26 | $308,852.77 |
Former Orlando-area State Attorney Aramis Ayala defeated two other Democrats for a chance to challenge Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody, who didn’t have a primary opponent. Ayala received national attention for refusing to seek the death penalty in murder cases.
As of Thursday, Moody had nearly $2.6 million in campaign contributions, of which she had spent about $157,000.
Commissioner of Agriculture
Republican Senate President Wilton Simpson defeated little-known candidate James Shaw. Naomi Blemur defeated two other candidates in the Democratic primary.
| Name | Votes | Percentage | Contributions | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naomi Blemur | 683,658 | 50.39% | $66,357.86 | $55,972.30 |
| J.R. Gaillot | 261,423 | 19.27% | $18,584 | $11,691.52 |
| Ryan Morales | 411,615 | 30.34% | $27,439.75 | $22,102.81 |
| Name | Votes | Percentage | Contributions | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Shaw | 564,993 | 35.3% | $103,715.34 | $104,780.28 |
| Wilton Simpson | 1,035,643 | 64.7% | $2,325,759.03 | $529,670.56 |
