ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s primary voters went with the favorites in both parties Tuesday night, setting up a long-expected clash to determine who will serve as the state’s next governor after eight years of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
\n\nOn the Republican side, Rep. Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, outran a crowded GOP field to win his party’s nomination, NBC News projects, while Republican-turned-Democrat David Jolly, a former member of Congress, won his primary.
\n\nBoth outcomes were expected, but they officially kick off a general election showdown in which Republicans are trying to extend their decadeslong grip on Florida’s governorship, while Jolly and Democrats are out to prove the longtime battleground state has not gotten totally out of reach for their party.
\n\nRepublicans control all levels of state government in Florida and have not lost a race for governor since 1994.
\n\nEven as Republicans have dominated the state’s gubernatorial contests, Democrats largely remained competitive — until DeSantis, who could not run again due to term limits, won his 2022 re-election bid by more than 20 points. That historic margin prompted a huge Republican victory lap and claims that Florida had changed since its days as the nation’s…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/