Florida Election Results: Meek and Scott Win

In Tuesday's Florida Senate primary, Democratic congressman Kendrick Meek defeated billionaire Jeff Greene by more than 20 points. This is good news for Republican Marco Rubio, who fares better in a three-way race with Meek and Charlie Crist than with Greene and Crist. Meek does more to cut into Crist's support than did Greene, who was widely viewed as an unserious partyboy.

In the gubernatorial primary, Republican billionaire Rick Scott edged Attorney General Bill McCollum by about 3 points, though McCollum has not yet conceded to Scott in what was a bitter primary. See Ken Tomlinson's WEEKLY STANDARD piece on Scott v. McCollum. Scott faces Democrat Alex Sink in the general election.

Update: Via Allahpundit, here's Marco Rubio's victory speech:

Here's Bill McCollum's chilly concession speech:

The votes today have been tallied and I accept the voters’ decision. This race was one for the ages. No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida. While I was disappointed with the negative tone of the race, I couldn’t be more proud of our campaign and our supporters for fighting back against false and misleading advertising when we were down by double-digits.

And here's a National Republican Congressional Committee memo on four Democratic seats they're hoping to flip in Florida:

FL-02 (Rep. Allen Boyd, D) After winning his primary by an unconvincing two-point margin, it’s clear that Allen Boyd faces the toughest race of his career this November. A so-called “Blue Dog,” Boyd has put himself in peril this Congress by voting for a failed stimulus, a job-killing cap & trade energy tax and flip-flopping on ObamaCare – leading directly to 700 job losses in Bay County. Boyd’s primary forced him to spend millions, and the cash-on-hand advantage he holds over the GOP nominee is no longer insurmountable. Steve Southerland, a funeral home company owner, emerged as the winner in this competitive primary and is set to provide a fierce challenge for Boyd this November. A descendant of a Florida pioneer family and a lifelong resident of Panama City, Southerland has devoted his career to the prosperity and growth of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Being an active entrepreneur and small-business owner, Southerland has created jobs for North Florida families. He is well-aware of the disastrous effects that excessive taxes and government waste can have on working families. Guided by strong family-oriented principles, Southerland and his wife are committed to a better future for all Floridians and have been driving forces in charities that expand educational opportunities and strengthen local healthcare. This November, Southerland is poised to unseat Boyd, an out-of-touch career politician who is more concerned with toeing his party line than serving the constituents he was elected to represent. History: Florida’s Second District is comprised of deeply conservative Gulf Coast counties; however, it covers most of Leon County, including the state capital of Tallahassee, which is more Democrat-leaning than the rest of the district. This district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+6. In 2004, George W. Bush received 54 percent of the vote in the Second District, and in 2008, John McCain received the same percentage, beating Barack Obama who received 45 percent.  Geography: The Second District encompasses the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle. It is centered on Tallahassee and extends along the Gulf coast west to Destin and east to the Suwannee River. Part of the district includes the only part of Florida where the beach is still undeveloped, while the bustling city of Tallahassee boasts the largest population in the district. The district also runs north to the borders of Alabama and Georgia. FL-08 (Rep. Alan Grayson, D) Elected to his first term in 2008, Alan Grayson has made his name known through several outlandish statements and his extreme partisanship. From going as far as calling a lobbyist a “K Street whore” to likening the Republican Party to Nazi extremists, Grayson’s remarks have not only alienated Florida voters, but have made a mockery of the constituents he was elected to represent. His disconnect from voters doesn’t stop there: Grayson has supported every tax-and-spend piece of legislation his party boss Nancy Pelosi has pushed through Congress. He’s voted with his party over 98 percent of the time and has rubber-stamped a failed trillion-dollar stimulus, a job-killing national energy tax and a Medicare-cutting healthcare takeover. The result? Florida’s unemployment has gone from 7.7 percent to an unacceptably high rate of 11.5 percent in the last two years. In November, tonight’s Republican primary winner Daniel Webster will hold Grayson accountable for his actions. Webster began his career in the Florida House of Representatives, where he helped engineer the Republican takeover of 1996 – ending 122 years of Democrat control – and earning him the spot of House Republican Leader. As Speaker of the House, Webster led sweeping conservative reforms which earned him praise amongst his party and Florida families. After serving in the House, Webster was elected to the Florida Senate in 1998 where he served as Majority Leader. Webster is determined to get Florida’s economy back on track and get Florida families working again. A true statesman, Daniel Webster is ready to take on Alan Grayson for Florida’s Eighth Congressional District. History. Historically the district has Republican roots, but has only recently trended towards Democrats. The district elected both Democrat Alan Grayson and President Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic wave. Republican Governor Jeb Bush won the district in 2002 and Charlie Crist won in 2006. President George W. Bush won this district in 2004 with 55 percent of the vote. Geography. Florida’s Eighth Congressional District includes the southeast and southwest parts of Orlando and the surrounding Orange County suburbs. The majority of voters live in Orange County and the rest live in towns outside of the metro area such as Mount Dora and Umatilla in Lake County, Ocala in Marion County and a small portion of Osceola County. FL-22 (Rep. Ron Klein, D)   Previously serving as a state senator, Ron Klein was elected to this South Florida swing district in one of the most expensive House races in 2006. This race drew national attention and top party leaders, as Klein narrowly beat Republican incumbent Clay Shaw in a hard-fought race by a 51-47 percent margin. But from day one, instead of representing his constituents, Klein has marched in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi, voting with her 97.8 percent of the time. Klein is sure to have a difficult time defending his votes for cap-and-trade and the government takeover of healthcare, highly unpopular in this senior-heavy district due to its devastating Medicare cuts.   As a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, Republican Allen West brings a wealth of leadership experience to his bid for Congress in Florida’s 22nd District. Lt. Col. West served the United States in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan Army, where he trained Afghan officers to serve their country as proudly as he has served his. As a husband and father of two daughters, Allen is dedicated to fighting for their future and for a brighter future for Florida.   According to April 2010 polling, Klein is trailing West by a two-point margin. Although West narrowly lost to Klein in 2008, with the political climate in favor of the GOP this year, he is sure to offer Klein a tough rematch in November. History: The 22nd District was represented by 13-term incumbent Republican Clay Shaw until Democrat Ron Klein won the seat in the Democrat wave year of 2006 by a narrow 51-47 percent margin. This district was ground zero for the 2000 Presidential recount controversy between Democratic nominee Al Gore and eventual winner George W. Bush. In 2008, Barack Obama won this D+1 district by a 52-48 percent margin, highlighting the tossup nature of this seat. Geography: Florida’s 22nd District stretches along the coastline from the upper portion of Broward County up to Palm Beach County and is rarely more than a few miles wide. The district is comprised of a series of barrier islands and beachfront communities on Florida’s Gold Coast. It includes the cities of Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Jupiter and Fort Lauderdale. FL-24 (Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D)   It didn’t take long for freshman Democrat Suzanne Kosmas to prove her loyalty to her party bosses over her constituents, with a record of voting with Speaker Pelosi 93.4 percent of the time. Kosmas has supported such reckless policies as the failed $787 billion stimulus, cap-and-trade, and flip-flopping to support the final version of the Democrats’ takeover of healthcare. Kosmas will have a tough time defending her Medicare-cutting healthcare vote to this district’s high population of seniors. Kosmas also represents Kennedy Space Center, which is set to lose up to 9,000 jobs when the space shuttle shuts down.   In more bad news for Kosmas, a recent poll conducted in Florida’s 24th  District for the American Action Forum shows more voters view her unfavorably (39%) than favorably (36%), an ominous sign for any incumbent. Cook Political Report rates this seat as “Toss Up.”   Republican state Rep. Sandy Adams emerged the winner from a closely-fought primary race and will face off against Kosmas in the general election. Adams, who is currently a member of the Florida House of Representatives, is widely known as a reliable fiscal conservative and expert on law enforcement issues. In a 2006 state legislature endorsement, the Orlando Sentinel praised “her ability to work across party lines.” She served in the Air Force before joining the Orange County Deputy Sheriff’s Department, where she served for 17 years until being elected to the state legislature in 2002. Adams’ first husband – also a law enforcement officer – died in the line of duty. As a supporter of smaller government with deep roots in the district, Adams will provide voters with a clear and appealing alternative to loyal big-government Democrat Suzanne Kosmas. History: The 24th District, which was created after the 2000 Census, has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+4. George W. Bush won with 55 percent of the vote in 2004 and John McCain won with 51 percent in 2008. Geography: Covering portions of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties, Florida’s 24th District has about half its population centered in the Orlando area. The district covers nearly 80 miles of coastline, in addition to the main grounds of the NASA Space Center and part of Daytona Beach, where NASCAR is a big employer.