WASHINGTON — Veteran Arizona Sen. John McCain sailed to nomination for a fifth term Tuesday over a challenger with tea party support, while big-spending political novice Rick Scott pushed past an experienced insider in Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary as voters split on the merits of establishment candidates vs. outsiders.
In other big-name races, Rep. Kendrick Meek prevailed for Florida’s Senate Democratic nomination over upstart Jeff Greene, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska counted on voters to reward political experience as she faced a spirited Republican primary challenge 10 weeks before the general election.
Results from the Alaska race will not be available until today.
Nominating contests in five states — Vermont also was voting, and Oklahoma held GOP runoffs — highlighted dominant themes of this unpredictable election year, including anti-establishment anger and tea party challenges from the right. But the early results indicated that if there was a single pattern to the night, it was the lack of one.
Just two years after reaching the pinnacle of the GOP establishment as the party’s presidential nominee, McCain found himself facing a stiff Senate primary challenge by ex-radio host and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who tried to tap into anti-Washington sentiment coursing through the electorate.
McCain spent more than $20 million and aggressively cast Hayworth in a negative light. It worked, and McCain comfortably won the Republican nod in his home state. He now enters the general election as the heavy favorite to win a fifth term.
In the bitter GOP race for Florida governor, Scott’s financial might and criticism of his opponent as a typical tax-raising politician proved too much for McCollum, the state’s attorney general and a former congressman with the support of national party leaders in Washington.
Scott, who made a fortune in the health care industry and spent $39 million of it blanketing the state with TV ads, will face Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer who sailed to the Democratic nomination.
In the Democratic Senate nomination fight in Florida, Meek toppled Greene, a big-spending real estate tycoon whose links to boxer Mike Tyson and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss drew headlines. The four-term congressman will compete against Republican Marco Rubio, who easily secured the GOP nod, and Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican who is running as an independent, in November.
In Vermont, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, first elected in 1974, coasted to renomination for what is likely to be a new term in November.
The tea party’s clout was on the line in several states.
Like McCain, Murkowski of Alaska worked to overcome a challenge from a candidate backed by the fledgling coalition that questioned her conservative credentials. She faced Sarah Palin-endorsed Joe Miller, an attorney. And like McCain, Murkowski would virtually ensure her re-election with a primary victory; no Democrat is considered a serious challenger.
Arizona Republicans also held contested primaries to challenge incumbent Democratic Reps. Gabrielle Giffords, Ann Kirkpatrick and Harry Mitchell. And the House seat being vacated by retiring Republican Rep. John Shadegg attracted 10 Republican hopefuls, including Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle.
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