Politics in the Sunshine State is never exactly "quiet," but the florida primary election candidates 2024 cycle felt like a fever dream. Honestly, by the time August 20 rolled around, most of us were already exhausted from the non-stop ads and the bizarre national headlines. But the primary is where the real gears turn. It's where the local power players get their tickets punched and where incumbents find out if they've actually annoyed their base enough to get the boot.
You've probably heard the big names. Rick Scott. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Matt Gaetz. But if you look closer, the real story was in the margins. It was in the school board races and the congressional districts where "safe" seats suddenly didn't feel so safe. Florida is changing. It's getting redder, sure, but the internal battles within both parties are getting way more intense.
The Big Ticket: Rick Scott and the Senate Race
The Republican side for the U.S. Senate was basically a victory lap for Rick Scott. He walked away with over 84% of the vote. Keith Gross and John Columbus were on the ballot, but they never really stood a chance against Scott’s massive war chest and name recognition.
On the other side, the Democrats had a bit more of a scrap, though Debbie Mucarsel-Powell came out as the clear favorite. She grabbed about 68% of the vote. Her opponents, Stanley Campbell, Brian Rush, and Rod Joseph, tried to make a dent, but Mucarsel-Powell had the party backing from the start.
Why the Senate Primary Mattered
It wasn't just about picking a name. It was about setting the stage for the general election. Scott represents the "new" Republican Florida—wealthy, firmly aligned with the national GOP, and seemingly untouchable. Mucarsel-Powell represents the Democrats' desperate hope to prove Florida is still a "swing state," even though the registration numbers say otherwise.
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The Gaetz Effect and House Highlights
If there’s one candidate who defines the current Florida GOP, it’s Matt Gaetz. He faced a primary challenge from Aaron Dimmock in District 1. People thought maybe, just maybe, the controversy surrounding Gaetz would give Dimmock an opening. Nope. Gaetz crushed it with 72% of the vote.
But he wasn't the only one defending his turf. Look at these races:
- District 13: Anna Paulina Luna didn't even have a primary opponent; she cruised straight to the general. Meanwhile, the Democrats had a five-way pile-up. Whitney Fox won that one, beating out Sabrina Bousbar and Liz Dahan.
- District 7: Cory Mills is another "firebrand" who easily handled Michael Johnson with 80% of the vote.
- District 10: This is the heart of Orlando. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z congressman, swatted away his primary challengers, Wade Darius and Vibert White, with over 80% of the vote. He's basically the progressive gold standard in a state that’s otherwise shifting right.
Basically, the incumbents did very well. In District 16, Vern Buchanan fended off Eddie Speir. Speir was a New College trustee and tried to run to Buchanan's right, which is a tough thing to do in Sarasota. Buchanan won with about 61%. It shows that even with "culture war" energy, seasoned incumbents still have the infrastructure to win.
The School Board Shakeup
This is where things got kinda weird. Governor Ron DeSantis spent a lot of time and political capital endorsing specific school board candidates. He wanted to keep the "anti-woke" momentum going. Honestly? It was a mixed bag.
In places like Miami-Dade and Hillsborough, the DeSantis-backed candidates didn't perform as well as expected. Groups like Educated We Stand actually saw 10 of their candidates win outright. It suggests that while Florida voters might like DeSantis for Governor, they're a bit more skeptical about "culture war" politics when it comes to their local elementary schools.
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Surprises in the Local Races
You can't talk about the florida primary election candidates 2024 without mentioning the Miami-Dade Sheriff race. For the first time in decades, the county was electing a Sheriff. The Republican primary was a crowded mess—11 candidates. Rosie Cordero-Stutz won it, but it was close. She beat Joe Sanchez by just a couple of percentage points.
Then you had the State Attorney race in Hillsborough. Andrew Warren, who was famously suspended by DeSantis, ran in the Democratic primary. He won easily, setting up a massive revenge-match for the general election.
Key Takeaways from the Primary
- Incumbency is King: Most sitting reps didn't just win; they dominated.
- The "Trump" Brand Still Sells: Candidates aligned with the MAGA movement performed exceptionally well in GOP primaries.
- Democratic Consolidation: The Florida DP seems to be getting better at clearing the field for their preferred candidates, like they did for Mucarsel-Powell.
What Most People Get Wrong
Everyone looks at Florida and thinks it's a monolith. It's not. The primary showed that the "Republican" party in the Panhandle is very different from the "Republican" party in Miami. You have the "SodFather" Keith Truenow winning a State Senate seat in District 13, representing a more traditional agricultural Republicanism, while you have the fire-breathers like Gaetz up north.
The Democrats are in a weird spot. They have pockets of high energy, like with Maxwell Frost, but they’re struggling to find a message that resonates in the suburbs of Tampa or the retirement communities of The Villages.
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Moving Forward: Your Next Steps
If you're trying to keep up with Florida's political shifting sands, don't just look at the top-of-the-ticket results. The primary is the "pre-season," and it tells you which way the wind is blowing.
- Check your registration: Florida is a closed primary state. If you aren't registered with a party, you don't get a say in these races. You can update this at the Florida Division of Elections.
- Research the "Down-Ballot" folks: Most of the laws that actually change your life happen in Tallahassee, not D.C. Look up your State Representative and State Senator.
- Follow local journalists: National news outlets tend to simplify Florida. Follow local reporters on X (formerly Twitter) or subscribe to local outlets like Florida Politics or the Tampa Bay Times for the real dirt.
The primary candidates of 2024 have already shaped what 2026 and 2028 will look like. Whether you like the direction the state is heading or not, the first step is knowing who’s actually on the ballot and why they're there.