Florida
Florida Primary races to watch in Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. — Tuesday is Primary Day in Florida, and we are following a number of races locally and statewide.
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer says the early and mail-in vote so far is on pace with the 2020 primary. But he says unlike four years ago, Tuesday could decide several non-party races that will appear on both Republican and Democratic registered voter ballots.
“This primary election, we are going to choose a public defender, we are going to choose at least two judges and we have the possibility of choosing four school board members at this primary election,” said Latimer. “So if you think, ‘I’ll just wait around to the general and vote on these, you are going to miss.’”
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Spectrum News will have team coverage of the vote count as it happens.
Below are a number of races to watch:
Florida Senate Democratic Primary
Who will face Sen. Rick Scott in November? Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is running against former attorney Brian Rush, Navy veteran Stanley Campbell and Rod Joseph, an Army veteran.
Mucarsel-Powell appears to have the most support, even speaking during a recent Joe Biden visit to Tampa before he dropped out of the race.
Scott also faces two opponents Tuesday, but both he and Mucarsel-Powell are expected to score easy wins.
Congressional District 13 Democratic Primary
Candidates for U.S. House District 13 gathered for a community conversation about the economy, abortion, Social Security, immigration and national security — hosted by Spectrum Bay News 9 anchor Holly Gregory and Tampa Bay Times political reporter Kirby Wilson.
The candidates are vying to compete in November against Republican Anna Paulina Luna.
Hillsborough State Attorney Democratic Primary
For Hillsborough County District Attorney, Suzy Lopez is running to retain her seat.
She was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after the governor fired Andrew Warren in 2022.
Warren is running against Lopez to win his job back.
Also running against Lopez and Warren is Elizabeth Strauss, a third generation trial attorney from Tampa.
Hillsborough School Board District 1
Incumbent Nadia Combs, a former Hillsborough public school teacher, is opposed by Layla Collins and Julie Magill. Collins cites her volunteer activity and substitute teaching when called open. Magill was born and reared in Tampa Bay.
The candidates recently answered a number of questions posted by Spectrum Bay News 9. You can read the questions and answers here.
Hillsborough School Board District 3
The incumbent, Jessica Vaughn was elected to the board, representing District 3, in 2020. Her opponent Tuesday, Myosha Powell, is originally from New York and moved to Tampa in 2005.
The candidates recently answered a number of questions posted by Spectrum Bay News 9. You can read the questions and answers here.
Hillsborough County Commission District 4
Christine Miller is the Republican incumbent and will be opposed Tuesday by Michael Owen and Cody Powell.
Running for the Democratic nomination are Jonathon T. Chavez and Nicole Payne.
Congressional District 14 Republican Primary
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Kathy Castor advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 14.
Her November opponent will be determined Tuesday. Ehsan Joarder, Neelam Perry, John Peters and Robert Rochford are running in the Republican primary.
Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.
Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67.
Cognizant Classic scoreboard
“Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said.
Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June.
Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be.
“That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said.
He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole.
“Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.”
Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score.
“I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”
Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68.
Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity.
“We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.”
Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par.
Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over).
Kim maintains narrow lead in Singapore
Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three- time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68).
Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69).
Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season.
“I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.”
Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.”
Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey.
Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain.
“Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.”
Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70.
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