Underdogs win nominations to be governor of Florida
TAMPA A dark horse Democrat and Republican scored victories in nominating contests for Florida, while the midterm elections in November inches closer.
A few weeks ago, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was relatively unknown to Florida voters despite a historic bid to be the state's first black governor.
But he pulled off an upset with a liberal agenda and grassroots campaign in a state where Democrats have failed to hold the governor's office for two decades after successive losses by white centrist candidates.
Mr Gillum defied that conventional wisdom with his fiery calls for expansive government-run healthcare and Mr Trump's impeachment.
The 39-year-old son of a bus driver highlighted the power of his historic candidacy to rouse younger and more racially diverse voters who often sit out midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump's endorsement helped catapult a conservative once seen as a long shot candidate for governor of Florida to a 20-percentage point win in the Republican nominating contest.
Congressman Ron DeSantis' trouncing of the early establishment favourite, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, stressed Mr Trump's popularity with the Republican base.
In Arizona, US Representative Martha McSally fended off two hardline conservatives, former state senator Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Either Ms McSally, 52, or Democratic opponent US Representative Kyrsten Sinema, 42, will be Arizona's first female senator. The winner may decide which party controls the chamber where Republicans hold a one-seat majority.
In Florida, Democrat Donna Shalala, who ran the US healthcare agenda under former president Bill Clinton, bested male candidates to win the party's nomination for a competitive congressional seat in Miami.
She will square off against Republican Maria Elvira Salazar, a Spanish-language TV journalist.
Ms Salazar could help Republicans hold on to the seat in a district wheremost of the population is Hispanic and favoured Mrs Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. - REUTERS
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