FL-15: Florida GOP Rep. Ross Spano loses primary to Scott Franklin
Embattled Florida Republican Ross Spano lost his primary Tuesday night, becoming the latest House incumbent to be rejected by his party in a cycle that has been unusually treacherous for incumbents.
Navy veteran Scott Franklin was leading Spano 51 percent to 49 percent in the 15th District when The Associated Press called the race just after 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Franklin will next face former TV anchor Alan Cohn, who was leading a three-way Democratic primary with 41 percent of the vote when the AP made its call.
Spano was already considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the state as he faced a federal investigation and the possibility of losing his law license for alleged campaign finance violations over loans the freshman lawmaker made to his 2018 campaign. Spano acknowledged that he likely broke the law, but insisted that it was a mistake.
Franklin, a Lakeland City commissioner, pummeled him in ads that called him a criminal. The two men shared views on core GOP issues, such as immigration, guns and support for President Donald Trump. But Franklin warned voters that the scandal hanging over Spano would create an opening for Democrats, who are targeting the district, which stretches from the Tampa suburbs to Lakeland.
That argument was advanced in the days leading up to the election by Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose proximity to the Trump White House has made him a powerful force in the Florida Republican Party. In his endorsement, Gaetz called Franklin “the right person to ensure that President Trump has the strongest possible campaign” in the state.
https://rollcall.com/2020/08/18/florida-republican-rep-ross-spano-loses-primary-to-scott-franklin/
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Last thing we need is a stronger Trump. 
