Incumbents win big in primaries for Congress, state House; judicial race headed for runoff
Incumbents won primary races for Congress and the Florida House handily on Tuesday, while a nonpartisan judicial race is headed for a runoff.
In the race to represent Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, incumbent Republican Kat Cammack will face Democrat Danielle Hawk in November.
In the Florida House District 22 race, incumbent Chuck Clemons won the Republican primary while Brandon Peters won the Democratic primary.
In a nonpartisan election for Eighth Judicial Circuit judge, Sean Brewer and AuBroncee Martin will face each other in a November runoff after neither candidate won 50% of the vote.
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Florida’s 3rd Congressional District
Kat Cammack overwhelmingly won her Republican primary race, receiving about 85% of the vote as compared to 15% for challenger Justin Waters in unofficial results.
A third candidate in the race, Manuel Asensio, dropped out on the eve of the election after claiming his opponents illegally worked together and "sabotaged" his campaign.
Hawk received nearly 68% of the vote and opponent Tom Wells received about 32% in unofficial results of the Democratic primary. Hawk works as a higher education administrator.
The district covers Alachua, Clay, Putnam, Bradford and Union counties, along with much of Marion County. Cammack first won the seat with 57.1% of the vote in 2020, succeeding Ted Yoho, for whom she previously worked as chief of staff.
Florida House District 22 seat
Republican incumbent state Rep. Chuck Clemons decisively won his primary election Tuesday and will face Democrat Brandon Peters in November in the race for the Florida House District 22 seat.
Peters received nearly 52% of the vote while Olysha Magruder received about 48% in unofficial results of the Democratic primary. Peters is a lawyer who lives in Levy County.
Clemons received about 71% while challenger Ty Appiah received nearly 29% in unofficial results of the Republican primary. Clemons, a Santa Fe College official, was first elected in the Legislature in 2016.
Eighth Judicial Circuit judge, Group 12
Sean Brewer and AuBroncee Martin will face off in a runoff election in November for Eighth Judicial Circuit judge.
Brewer received nearly 38% and Martin received more than 25% in unofficial results of the nonpartisan race, both falling short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. Dan Weisman finished third and Nathan Skop last.
Brewer has served as an assistant state attorney and Alachua County's felony division chief. Martin has been a public defender for 24 years.
The circuit includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties. The seat opened after Judge Monica J. Brasington didn’t run for re-election.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Cammack vs. Hawk, Clemons vs. Peters, Brewer vs. Martin in November
