The Florida primary from hell

Rep.

Randy Fine talks with reporters outside the US Capitol in April. | Tom Williams/Getty Images This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day.

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Name a disgraced former Congress member, not originally from Florida, whose time in office was marred by shady financial dealings and who ran in yesterday’s GOP primary for Florida’s 19th District. …This is, amazingly, a trick question.

Because TWO candidates who fit that bill ran in FL-19, and neither of them won. (They were Madison Cawthorn and Chris Collins.) Florida is — how do I put this? — one hell of a drug .

And its primary results were no less surprising or chaotic.

On the Democratic side, a socialist candidate for Senate came out of (literal) left field to topple an opponent who out-fundraised her 16 to 1.

Meanwhile, progressive challengers lost decisively in two other races.

On the Republican side, President Donald Trump’s picks won most of their contests, including the race to succeed Gov.

Ron DeSantis.

But two endorsed candidates also lost in surprising upsets.

Republicans ousted Rep.

Cory Mills , for instance, who has been accused of assaulting one woman he dated and threatening another.

And Trump’s pick in FL-19 , Catalina Lauf, fell not to Cawthorn or Collins, but to the founder of a conservative talk-radio station.