Former Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee cleaned up Tuesday night, winning the Republican nomination in the new 15th congressional district that sweeps across the greater Tampa Bay region.
As of 9 p.m., Lee, also a former circuit judge, had 41.5 percent of the primary vote in the GOP-leaning district, which covers parts of Hillsborough, Polk, and Pasco counties, according to the state Division of Elections website.
Among the other leading contenders, state Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Kelli Stargel of Lakeland had captured nearly 28 percent and state Rep. Jackie Toledo of Tampa claimed nearly 12 percent. The other GOP candidates, Demetries Grimes and Kevin McGovern, came in with 10 percent and almost 9 percent, respectively.
“Today, Republican voters in Congressional District 15 made clear the type of leadership they want representing them in Congress, and I’m honored to be their nominee going into the general election,” Lee said in a statement. “We have a lot of work to do to take back Congress.
“I look forward to hitting the ground running as we head toward the general election in November and continuing the fight to bring conservative leadership for our area to Washington.”
Lee, who regularly led in polls, had snagged key support from, among others, Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober and a triumvirate of Republican former state Senate Presidents: Bill Galvano, Andy Gardiner and Don Gaetz.
She also was the biggest fundraiser, clearing over $663,000, her most recent campaign finance report shows, and benefited from nearly $1.2 million in outside spending, according to the OpenSecrets political-money tracking group.
Lee, who is married to former state Senate President Tom Lee, was appointed Florida secretary of state by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2019. She resigned in May to run for the congressional seat and was replaced by Cord Byrd, then a Republican state representative from Neptune Beach.
DeSantis didn’t make endorsements in this year’s congressional primaries, but Lee tied herself to her former boss, including in one television ad that said she was the “one candidate trusted by Gov. DeSantis to secure our elections.”
Among the Democratic candidates, Alan Cohn — a former television reporter — came out on top of a five-way race with 33 percent of Tuesday’s vote. He’d been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for governor, and Democratic members of Congress Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Lee is favored to win the general election; the Cook Political Report rates the district, which was carved into a redistricting plan this spring, as “likely Republican.”
Stargel, who is term-limited out of her Senate seat this year, arguably was the best-known and most-conservative opponent Lee faced.
Besides being the Senate’s chief budget writer, Stargel this year helped sponsor a bill that largely banned abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion was one of Stargel’s top priorities throughout her 14-year tenure in the state House and Senate.
She also helped push through other conservative measures, such as a 2021 law banning transgender athletes from participating on girls’ and women’s high school and collegiate sports teams. Stargel did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Tuesday’s results.
— News Service senior writer Dara Kam contributed to this report.
— Jim Rosica is editor-in-chief of City & State Florida, a sister publication of The News Service of Florida.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.