ORLANDO, Fla. – With the candidate qualifying period behind us, political races are about to start heating up in the Sunshine State.
News 6 political expert and UCF history professor Dr. Jim Clark joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly” to break down some of the key races heading into Florida’s primary election, including the matchup to see which Democrat will challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.
[TRENDING: Jury finds woman not guilty of murder in UCF executive’s death | Here’s why it’s so hot, even by Florida’s standards | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“Nikki Fried has had trouble raising any kind of money and the party is coalescing around Charlie Crist,” Clark said. “They see him as having the best chance in a tough year to defeat Ron DeSantis.”
Clark also discussed the two open congressional seats in Central Florida — District 7 and District 10 — currently held by Rep. Stephanie Murphy and Rep. Val Demings, respectively.
Between the two vacancies and the redrawn congressional districts, Clark estimates about half of Central Floridians will have a new representative in January.
“What’s interesting is most of the people running are unknown,” Clark said. “It’s going to be fascinating to see who can gain any kind of traction between now and the August primary.”
Florida’s primary election will be held on Aug. 23.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.