After months of fundraising, campaigning, scheming, punching, and counter-punching, candidates across Florida saw the fruits of their efforts come (and go) in the couple of hours after polls closed at 7pm yesterday.
Many outcomes were expected, some were surprising, and a few were just plain bizarre. On that note, what’s up with Central Florida? I mean, they actually elected the prosecutor who botched the Casey Anthony Trial as their new State Attorney? Seriously? Oh well. I digress.
Anyway, this is a recap of election results and how things stand in some of the races we at Reaganista.com took a position on:
US Senate
Connie Mack
Congressman and #ReaganistaCertified Connie Mack IV defeated his closest rival former Congressman Dave Weldon 59% to 28%. Col. Mike McCallister and Marielena Stuart each received 14% and 7%, respectively.
Although we at Reaganista.com enjoyed Former Senator and Crist Enabler George “LeBackstabber” LeMieux’s exit from the race a few months ago, it was a pleasure to see his name on the ballot and cast a vote against him.
Yes, we hold grudges here.
Florida Congressional District 9
Todd Long
This is the race that we labeled the most important primary in the state because it would determine if the detestable loudmouth leftist Alan Grayson would return to congress and could have potentially given Republicans a conservative Puerto Rican voice in the crucial I-4 Corridor. I’m sad to report that too many Republican primary voters here lent themselves to be useful idiots of Grayson, the Democrats, and the reprobate that goes by the name of Doug Guetzloe.
Unfortunately, perpetual candidate (and de facto Grayson Ringer) Todd “Longshot” Long went on to defeat #ReaganistaCertified John “Q” Quiñones with the active help of Grayson and company. Though we believe the race for this congressional seat was decided yesterday (in favor of Grayson) and despite my contempt for “Longshot” for lending himself to this macabre plot to hand this seat to the Democrats, we at Reaganista urge voters in this district to support him in November.
However, should Grayson win, as we expect, we will not be so forgiving come November 7th. And the same goes for that other little Grayson ringer (who may or may not know he is one) Julius Melendez who siphoned Hispanic votes from John Q. Todd, you have your work cut out for you.
Florida Congressional District 7
John Mica
This is a race we at Reaganista.com did not make a recommendation in. It pitted longtime Congressman John Mica against Freshman Congresswoman Sandy Adams. John Mica went to defeat Sandy Adams in the primary 61% to 39%, and is overwhelmingly expected to win in November. Essentially, this race was decided last night.
After spending election night in Central Florida, I admit this is a race we at Reaganista.com should have taken a more active role in due to what we consider to be some unsavory actions on the part of the Mica campaign, the fact Mica brought a rail boondoggle to Florida, and most importantly, the fact he was also being supported by the phony “TEA” Party activist and all-around miscreant Doug Guetzloe.
Senate District 4
Aaron Bean
Former State Representative Aaron Bean went on to defeat current State Representative Mike “Mike Mike” Weinstein. Although both are solid conservatives, we at Reaganista.com couldn’t help but recommending one of Marco Rubio’s earliest supporters Aaron Bean. This was also an important race that may likely impact the race for Senate President. Bean has committed to supporting the more conservative candidate in that race, which is an important consideration.
This is another one of those races where the primary winner will go on to face a Democrat (Nancy Soderberg) in November kind of as a formality, because he is so widely expected to win handily.
Senate District 22
Jeff Brandes
This race pitted two current state representatives, Jim Frishe and Jeff Brandes. #ReaganistaCertified Brandes went on to defeat Frishe 57% to 43%.
This is a major defeat for Senator Jack Latvala who invested a great deal of time, resources, and political capital in his own backyard to get Frishe elected. Frishe had committed to supporting Latvala in his race for Senate President.
State House District 103
Manny Diaz, Jr.
We at Reaganista.com did not dedicate a post to this race because it essentially pitted two solid conservatives (and personal friends of Reaganista) against one another, but I personally had committed to supporting candidate Manny Diaz, Jr. long before the other candidate in this race Renier Diaz de la Portilla decided to run. Either one of these candidates would have been a win for the cause of conservatism.
Manny Diaz, Jr. went on to win this race 55% to 39%, and will face only a write-in candidate in November (read: he’s District 103′s Representative-Elect). What is interesting about this race is what it reveals about some of the players involved, especially those in the little municipality of Miami Lakes.
State House District 112
ADLP
It gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction to report that voters are still smart and ethical enough to reject backstabbing chivato pieces of crap dumb enough to look at porn on state-issued computers. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, #ReaganistaCertified Alex Diaz de la Portilla wiped the floor with Gus “El Chivatón” Barreiro 59% to 41%.
ADLP will face political newcomer Democrat Alex “El Otro” Dominguez in November, but is expected to win handily.
State House District 115
Mike Bileca
Solid, bedrock conservative incumbent Representative Michael Bileca easily defeated his primary opponent Eugenio Perez 76% to 34%. We at Reaganista.com did not dedicate an entire post to this race, as Bileca was widely expected to win. Bileca is arguably one of the most principled free-market conservative legislators representing South Florida, and we congratulate him in his victory.
Indian River County Tax Collector
Carole Jean Jordan
Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman and incumbent County Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan defeated county commissioner Thomas Lowther 61% to 39%. We at Reaganista chimed in on this race because Jordan is a solid conservative who led the Republican Party of Florida to several victories during her tenure.
She also courageously stood up to the ill-aligned establishment of the time and the madness the Backstabber Charlie Crist was foisting on the party by running against his hand-picked choice for party chairman, the detestable Jim Greer.
Leon County GOP State Committeeman
Jeff Howell
Incumbent and #ReaganistaCertified Jeff Howell defeated close challenger Bert Bevis 53% to 47% (difference of 833 votes).
Howell has served as the Republican Party of Florida’s treasurer for the past two years and helped draft the party’s new ethics rules after the scandal-ridden tenure of Crist’s disgraced hand-picked chairman Jim Greer.
Miami-Dade County GOP State Committeewoman
Liliana Ros
Incumbent and #ReaganistaCertified Liliana Ros wallops her four other opponents, garnering 59% of the vote. Her closest challenger received 14%.
Asi que vaya.
Ros has been Miami-Dade County’s State Committeewoman for nearly 20 years, and has served in that capacity with distinction.
Pasco County GOP State Committeeman
Bill Bunting
Incumbent and early Marco Rubio supporter Bill “Not the Dos Equis Man” Bunting defeated challenger Steve Simon 55% to 45%.
This is an interesting race because some considered it a Rubio/Crist proxy because Rubio openly endorsed (and even did ads for) Bunting, while Crist loyalist State Senator Mike Fasano, who is wildly popular in Pasco County, openly endorsed Simon.
I guess Rubio is more popular than Fasano.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
WINNERS:
- Jeb Bush: This election proved former Republican governor and conservative rock star Jeb Bush has political staying power. He took a gamble and endorsed in various races and won, including: Connie Mack for Senate; John Legg, Aaron Bean, Jeff Brandes, and Kelli Stargel for State Senate; Marco Peña, Janet Adkins and Manny Diaz, Jr. for State House; and various other races across the state.
- In Central Florida, it pains me to say that two big winners are the über detestable shysters and reprobates Alan Grayson and Doug Guetzloe. As a good friend tweeted yesterday:
Congrats, Orlando… A 41% hispanic congressional district will be represented by a non-hispanic white lawyer from the burbs.
Of course, she means the loathsome loudmouth leftist Grayson, who was supported by Guetzloe. Other Guetzloe wins last night include John Mica (who defeated Sandy Adams) and failed Casey Anthony prosecutor Jeff Ashton (who defeated incumbent Lawson Lamar for State Attorney). Lamar successfully prosecuted Guetzloe a few years ago for campaign-related infractions, which he served jail time for.
- In South Florida, a big winner was Representative Jose Oliva who not only won reelection, but saw the election and reelection of various candidates in South Florida and around the state that will help him in his quest to become a future speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. One such successful candidate was Manny Diaz, Jr.
- Joe Negron: Three state senate candidates who have indicated support for Negron’s pursuit of the Senate Presidency won their competitive primaries yesterday: Aaron Bean, Jeff Brandes, and Tom Lee. Although there is still a long road ahead for both him and his opponent Senator Jack Latvala, these primary victories make Negron’s path to the Senate Presidency a bit easier to traverse.
LOSERS:
- Jack Latvala: As mentioned above, yesterday’s primary election results put Negron closer to clinching the Senate Presidency. This race is far from over, but Latvala clearly suffered some setbacks yesterday.
- Genting / Lincoln Diaz-Balart / Carlos Curbelo: It is no secret in Miami-Dade County that former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and School Board Member Carlos Curbelo do political consulting work for the gaming conglomerate Genting. (Side note: we at Reaganista.com view gaming as a free market issue, so we are not opposed to its expansion).Anyway, Diaz-Balart and Curbelo recruited candidates to run against some incumbent legislators, but they all lost.Diaz-Balart also endorsed and did robo-calls for Renier Diaz de la Portilla who lost his race against Manny Diaz, Jr. Their only legislative candidate who won is incumbent Representative Erik Fresen.Curbelo and Diaz-Balart also endorsed Miami Springs Vice Mayor Dan Espino in his race for the Miami-Dade school board. Espino was also supported by area mayors, the teachers union and other groups, but lost to challenger Susie Castillo 64% to 36%. Curbelo also lost his own race for Miami-Dade GOP State Committeeman, coming in third behind Renier Diaz de la Portilla and Manny Diaz, Jr.Is the Diaz-Balart machine beginning to lose political clout?One bad election cycle is not enough to say for certain.