Sink wins gubernatorial nod, McCollum concedes to Scott

Alex Sink has won the Florida Democratic primary for governor.

The state chief financial officer’s only opposition in Tuesday’s primary was from health care executive Brian Moore, who received 23 percent of the Democratic vote to Sink’s nearly 77 percent.

Sink will meet Republican Rick Scott in November’s general election.

Florida’s Republican voters chose wealthy newcomer Scott over state Attorney General Bill McCollum as their candidate for governor.

With 99 percent of the votes counted, Scott had 46.4 percent of the vote to McCollum’s 43.5 percent.

Businessman Mike McCalister was a distant third, with only 10.1 percent.

Early in the year, McCollum seemed to be an easy pick for the Republican candidate for governor, until Scott jumped in the race in April.

Both ran negative campaigns against the other all the way up to Primary Day, as McCollum took one last shot as his opponent in a statement sent via email Tuesday night:

Statement from Bill McCollum

The votes today have been tallied and I accept the voters’ decision.

This race was one for the ages. No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida.

While I was disappointed with the negative tone of the race, I couldn’t be more proud of our campaign and our supporters for fighting back against false and misleading advertising when we were down by double-digits.

First, I want to thank my wife, Ingrid, and our entire family. I could not have made it this far without Ingrid’s unwavering love and support. I also want to thank the many Republican leaders who stood by our campaign and helped build our organization, especially Governor Jeb Bush, Commissioner Charlie Bronson, House Speaker Larry Cretul, Senate President Designate Mike Haridopolos, House Speaker Designate Dean Cannon and House Majority Leader Adam Hasner.

Most importantly, I thank the hundreds of volunteers who put in time and hard work to get our message out. I am humbled and overwhelmed by their passion for our campaign and depth of their support.

As I’ve said time and time again, this race was never about me, it’s about Floridians. My campaign was about our kids and grandkids, and making Florida a better place for them.

My campaign for Governor may be over, but I remain committed to serving our state and serving out the rest of my term as Florida’s Attorney General. We will continue our fight against Obamacare, continue to support states’ rights and their authority to crack down on illegal immigration and fight for all Floridians.

I love Florida, and I believe in the extraordinary people who have made it the greatest state in the country. There is nothing beyond our reach when we put trust in individuals and in free enterprise, not in government or bureaucracy. I will always remain committed to fighting for these core conservative principles.

Even in defeat, McCollum brought up Scott’s controversial past, when he was under investigation for health care fraud during his time as CEO of a hospital corporation.

But Scott was able to overcome. He spent more than $38 million of his own money on an aggressive TV campaign, outspending McCollum 3 to 1, and it paid off.

Scott called himself a “conservative outsider,” referring to McCollum as an ineffective career politician, desperate to hold onto public office.

Meanwhile, as Scott and Alex Sink prepare for the next leg of their campaigns, they will both be met by a number of third-party, unaffiliated and write-in candidates, led by independent Bud Chiles, son of former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles.

Statement from Bud Chiles

Congratulations to Alex Sink and Rick Scott on their victories tonight.

I challenge both candidates to join me in using the next several weeks as an opportunity for meaningful and spirited discussions about how to make Florida a better place for working people and their families.  Let’s hear real ideas about reforming Florida’s campaign finance system, ending the special interest chokehold on state government, returning power to people in our local communities and making a genuine commitment to renewable energy.  And let the people decide which of us can unite our state and bring about the positive changes Florida so desperately needs.

I believe Floridians have grown weary of shallow political attacks and wary of the people who launch them.  Now is the time for serious conversations about how to guide Florida to a more prosperous and sustainable future for all of us.

An exclusive News 13 Florida Decides Poll earlier in August asked voters whom they would choose as governor among Scott, Sink and Chiles.

Scott led the three-way race, but only by 1 percentage point -- 30–29 over Sink.

Chiles pulled 14 percent of the vote, while 27 percent were still undecided.