ORLANDO, Fla. — Charlie Crist soundly defeated Nikki Fried in the Democratic primary for Florida governor on Tuesday, prevailing in what became a bitter campaign to take on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.
Crist had 60% of the vote to Fried’s 35%, with 73% of the precincts reporting.
U.S. Rep. Crist, 66, and Agriculture Commissioner Fried, 44, largely agreed on most issues, including addressing the housing and homeowners insurance crises. They both vowed to roll back DeSantis’ culture wars, including the so-called “don’t say gay” law that led to a DeSantis clash with Walt Disney Co.
