Voters in three states picked nominees and filled open seats Tuesday for House and Senate seats that will help decide which party controls the agenda in Congress starting next year. Here are some highlights of the contests.
Florida
Cherfilus-McCormick wins rematch: Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won a rematch with former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness to secure the Democratic nomination for a full term in Florida’s 20th District. Cherfilus-McCormick won an 11-candidate special primary in November, getting just five votes more than Holness for the nomination to fill the remainder of the late Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings’ term. On Tuesday, she had 66 percent to Holness’ 29 percent in the three-candidate field when the AP called the race at 7:20 p.m. The nomination virtually assures victory in the seat; Cherfilus-McCormick won the special election in January with 79 percent of the vote. In the campaign’s final days, both candidates were reaching into their own pockets for funding. Holness had raised and spent about $407,000 from January through Aug. 3, and loaned his campaign an additional $50,000 on Aug. 19. From January through Aug. 3, Cherfilus-McCormick reported spending more than $1 million and wrote her campaign four checks between Aug. 15 and Monday totaling $103,000, Federal Election Commission disclosures show.
