Daily Clips for August 25, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Kendrick Meek wins Democratic U.S. Senate race; Marco Rubio wins Republican nod By Beth Reinhard and Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Related editorial: In Florida's U.S. Senate campaign, three distinct paths Overlooked and underestimated on the campaign trail for nearly two years, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek on Tuesday easily beat back a profligate challenge from real estate mogul Jeff Greene to run away with the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Rick Scott wins tight GOP race for governor; Alex Sink wins Democratic nod By Marc Caputo and Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related: Rick Scott puts GOP and Democrat Alex Sink in unfamiliar territory Related: Chairman Thrasher and Florida GOP embraces Rick Scott as gov candidate Rick Scott launched a one-man political revolution Tuesday night, defeating Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican primary for governor. Bondi, Gelber heading for faceoff on who will be Florida's next attorney general By Paula McMahon Orlando Sentinel Republican Pam Bondi, dubbed the political newbie of the race, and Democrat Dan Gelber, a veteran statesman of Florida politics, will vie to become Florida's next attorney general after triumphing in Tuesday's party primaries. Florida wins $700 million in 'Race to Top' education grants By Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald On Tuesday, Florida was named one of the big winners in the federal government's second round of the Race to the Top competition, landing $700 million for its public schools. FLORIDA POLITICS Republicans scrap unity rally after brutal primary season By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post It’s been a tough few months for Florida Republicans. Honoring equality: More than 430 celebrate 90th anniversary of women’s right to vote By James A. Jones Jr. Bradenton Herald Just 100 years ago, it was unheard of to have women serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, on the president’s cabinet and on school boards, county commissions and city councils. STATEWIDE RACES Meek win over Greene sets up showdown with Rubio, Crist By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek trounced Palm Beach real-estate billionaire Jeff Greene in the Democratic primary Tuesday, setting up a three-way U.S. Senate race with Gov. Charlie Crist and Republican Marco Rubio. Meek declared winner over Greene in US Senate race By George Bennett and Ana M. Valdes Palm Beach Post A Kendrick Meek victory in Florida's Democratic Senate primary was a foregone conclusion for much of 2009 and the first four months of this year. Meek to compete with Crist for Democratic votes By William March Tampa Tribune Miami congressman Kendrick Meek easily held off a challenge from billionaire Palm Beach real estate investor Jeff Greene to win the Democratic nomination for Florida's U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, setting the stage for an unprecedented, three-way general election race. Meek throttles Greene in Dems' Senate primary By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek battered Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tuesday in a race that generated much more heat than light. Meek wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate By Tristram Korten Florida Independent Rep. Kendrick Meek won tonight’s grueling Democratic primary battle for Florida’s vacant U.S. Senate against self-funded billionaire and Florida politics newcomer Jeff Greene. Scott upset ripples beyond Florida By Jonathan Martin Politico Related: Scott shocks McCollum in Fla. governor's race Millionaire businessman Rick Scott’s surprise win in the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday left both parties scrambling over how to cope with a candidate who possesses both glaring flaws and considerable assets. Scott beats McCollum in GOP governor race By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Political newcomer Rick Scott rode his "Let's get to work" message to victory over Attorney General Bill McCollum in their nasty Republican primary for governor Tuesday, contradicting recent polls and confounding the GOP leadership. Scott wins stunner in GOP Fla. governor's race; will face Democrat Sink By Michael C. Bender and Andrew Abramson Palm Beach Post Rick Scott added to the Florida Republican Party’s tumultuous year, scoring a stunning victory Tuesday night in the GOP governor’s race over Bill McCollum and most of the state party’s leaders. Rick Scott beats Bill McCollum to end nasty GOP governor's primary fight By Aaron Deslatte and Jennifer Gollan Orlando Sentinel Related column: Stance-shifting McCollum did himself in Former health-care executive Rick Scott beat Attorney General Bill McCollum on Tuesday night to win the Republican nomination for governor, in the most-expensive primary -- and one of the ugliest -- in Florida history. Scott Tries for Unity as McCollum Refuses to Help By Robin Sussingham and Marina Giovannelli WUSF Public Radio Tampa By any estimation, the battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination has been a bloody cagematch. Scott's $50M made difference in campaign By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Related: Loss ends 24 years of public service by McCollum Tuesday’s primary election results showed that with enough television advertising an unknown can overcome serious political baggage and win statewide in Florida politics -- within reason. Rick Scott wins Republican nomination for Florida governor By Luke Johnson Florida Independent In a stunning upset, former health care executive Rick Scott won Florida’s Republican primary for governor last night, beating Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. Gelber, Bondi stake out opposing positions in attorney general race By John Frank St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau A stark partisan choice in the race for attorney general awaits voters as Democrat Dan Gelber and Republican Pam Bondi claimed victory in Tuesday's primaries. Democrat Gelber, Republican Bondi will face off for Florida attorney general By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Floridians will choose between two former prosecutors — Democrat Dan Gelber and Republican Pam Bondi — in the Nov. 2 election for attorney general. CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE RACES U.S. House incumbents win Florida races The Associated Press Bradenton Herald Six of seven incumbent U.S. House members in Florida who drew primary opposition won their races Tuesday while the seventh, Rep. Allen Boyd, clung to a narrow lead. Boyd holds on in Fla. By Alex Isenstadt and Kasie Hunt Politico Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd, the prominent conservative Blue Dog who has spent more than a decade in Congress, narrowly escaped defeat Tuesday, holding off state Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson. Alan Grayson has an opponent: Dan Webster By Alex Leary and Louis Jacobson St. Petersburg Times U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, the blunt-talking liberal Democrat from Orlando who has become a national target for Republicans, has met his match. Adams wins GOP nod to challenge Kosmas By Ludmilla Lelis Orlando Sentinel Sandy Adams, a state representative from Oviedo, won a narrow victory in the District 24 Congressional Republican primary, prevailing against four others to challenge U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas in November. Wilson poised to win Meek's seat in Congress By Patricia Mazzei Miami Herald Following in Congressman Kendrick Meek's footsteps once again, state Sen. Frederica Wilson -- and her signature sequined hats -- appear to be heading to Washington in November. Stearns turns back primary challenge By Bill Thompson Gainesville Sun In the 6th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns easily overcame a feisty challenge from Weirsdale resident Don Browning, the first Republican to take on Stearns since 1990. Corrine Brown, Mike Yost proceed to November race By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and Republican Mike Yost coasted to easy victories Tuesday over their primary challengers. GOP picks nominees for state House, Senate Staff Report Orlando Sentinel Republican voters selected candidates for the state House and Senate in a handful of Central Florida districts Tuesday, and the election included an unusual third-party primary. John Thrasher wins handily in Senate primary By Tia Mitchell Florida Times-Union State Sen. John Thrasher, an incumbent, handily defeated challenger Charles Perniciaro in the state Senate District 8 Republican primary. Norman declares victory in state Senate race By Kenneth Knight Tampa Tribune In a race noted more for the candidates' personal issues than political stances, Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman declared victory late Tuesday in the battle against state Rep. Kevin Ambler for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 12. Bogdanoff holds edge over Domino By Patricia Mazzei and Amy Sherman Miami Herald A slew of colorful and nasty Miami-Dade legislative primary races concluded Tuesday night with a former county commissioner leading a longtime state representative in a battle of Republican heavyweights -- and a contest too close to call between two candidates who fended off a flier calling one of them “ugly” and the other one a dangerous “Arab.” Cardone concedes to Rooney in House District 83 GOP race By Bill DiPaolo Palm Beach Post Pat Rooney has received a call from challenger Nancy Cardone, conceding victory to him in the District 83 race. Slosberg, Berman, win state House primaries By Robert Nolin, Larry Barszewski and Michael Turnbell South Florida Sun-Sentinel After years of political exile, Democrat Irv Slosberg of Boca Raton had a clear victory Tuesday over newcomer Sheldon "Klassy" Klasfeld for a chance to regain the District 90 state House of Representatives seat Slosberg previously held for six years. Porter wins her GOP contest, will face Boyd By Nathan Crabbe Gainesville Sun The closest Florida House race in the 2008 election is headed for a rematch. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Florida DEP moving forward on waterways nutrient limits By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Florida is moving ahead with adopting its own rules to measure the health of estuaries despite its opposition to a federal proposal to do the same for lakes and rivers, Department of Environmental Protection officials said Tuesday. Gulf Waste Heads To Landfills, Some With Problems The Associated Press NPR The cleanup of history's worst peacetime oil spill is generating thousands of tons of oil-soaked debris that is ending up in local landfills, some of which were already dealing with environmental concerns. LGBT Equality Candidates Win in Key Races By Tobias Packer Equality Florida Tonight was a fantastic night for pro-equality candidates in Florida! EDUCATION Florida one of 10 winners for Race to the Top grant By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel Florida is one of 10 winners in the second round of the federal Race to the Top grant competition, likely securing $700 million that will be used in part to develop merit-pay plans for teachers. In Utah, former Fla. gov slams class size limits The Associated Press Palm Beach Post Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told Utah officials on Tuesday that there's little evidence to link smaller class sizes and student achievement. Poll: Local schools up, Obama education plans down The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A new Gallup Poll has found fewer Americans approve of the job President Barack Obama is doing in support of public education, but they continue to have a highly favorable opinion of their local schools. HEALTH AND SENIORS Tainted eggs not a problem in Florida By Susan Jenks Florida Today Despite a massive recall of salmonella-tainted eggs nationwide, none have reached Florida so far, according to public health officials.