Progressive Upset Means A Sanders Vs. Trump Battle For Florida Governor

President Trump listens as Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a Make America Great Again Rally in Tampa last month.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Updated 12:03 a.m. ET

Favorites of both the conservative and progressive movements scored surprising wins in Florida’s gubernatorial primaries on Tuesday, setting up a competitive clash come November.

On the Democratic side in Florida, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum’s victory was the most unexpected of the night, as he defeated centrist former Rep. Gwen Graham. His victory is one of the most significant progressive victories of the 2018 primary season — a surprise upset in a statewide race, to lead one of the biggest states in the country, which is one of the year’s top battlegrounds.