Charlie Crist defeats Nikki Fried in Democratic race for governor

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist defeated Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in the Democratic race for governor Tuesday.

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Crist will now face off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.

Crist served as Florida’s 44th governor from 2007 to 2011 and most recently as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017.

Most polling places had Crist leading Fried ahead of the primary.

LIVE UPDATES: 2022 Florida primary election

Fried had said she has the best shot of beating DeSantis in November. Fried and DeSantis have been at odds since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

To win the governor’s race in November, Crist will have to overcome DeSantis’ clear advantage.

Read: 2022 Florida Primary: Election results

Many say with an approval rating of 50% and more than $130 million in campaign cash, DeSantis will be hard to beat.

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