MIAMI — Beyond the win-loss results of Tuesday’s Florida primary — with Rick Scott seizing the Republican mantle for governor, and Kendrick Meek winning the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate — there lie more subtle signals of what to look for in November.
Turnout tells one potential story: Republicans, despite a 750,000-voter disadvantage in registration compared to Democrats, brought far more people to the polls.
In all, 1.25 million Republicans cast ballots in the Republican Governor’s race, while fewer than 909,000 Democrats voted in the Democratic Senate primary — even though both races were heated and close in the final weeks. Marco Rubio alone, in beating two unknown challengers for the Republican nomination to the Senate, collected more votes than all the Democrats on the other side combined, suggesting that the party of Obama — without Obama on the ticket — faces an uphill battle when it comes to motivation.
“It’s formidable, it’s very formidable on the right of the Republican party,” said Daniel Smith, director of the political campaigning program at the University of Florida.
Full Story: News Analysis – Behind the Florida Primary Surprises, Turnout Tells a Tale – NYTimes.com
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