TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Darren Soto won a closed Democratic primary last month for one of Florida’s seats in Congress with fewer than 15,000 votes. Now he seems virtually assured of going to Capitol Hill since his Orlando area district is solidly Democratic and a strong GOP challenge is unlikely.
Soto gained votes from 2 percent of the district’s 750,000 residents, beating three rivals under Florida’s closed-party, winner-takes-all primary system. Only registered Democrats could vote.
It’s a scenario repeated regularly in state and congressional races as a small percentage of voters effectively decide contests in districts controlled by one of the two major parties. And that has prompted calls in some quarters for changes to the system so that more voters have a say in who represents them.