It looks like Ross Spano will be a one-term Congressman.
Unofficial results from the Florida Division of Elections for Congressional District 15 show challenger Scott Franklin with 51 percent of the vote, to Ross Spano's 49 percent. The vote was split on county lines, with Spano winning Lake County and his home county of Hillsborough, but Franklin -- a Lakeland city commissioner -- winning Polk County by a wider margin.
RESULTS: 2020 Florida Primary Elections Results For Tampa Bay And Statewide
Spano has been the subject of a long-running Justice Department investigation. He has said that he unwittingly broke campaign finance laws by borrowing nearly $200,000 in loans from two friends. Campaign contributions from individuals are capped at just under $3,000.
If the results hold up, Franklin will face former television journalist Alan Cohn in November after Cohn beat state Representative Adam Hattersley in the Democratic primary.
“I’m so honored to receive the Democratic nomination in the race to represent Florida’s 15th Congressional District, and I’m grateful to everyone who worked so hard for this victory,” Cohn said in a prepared statement. “It’s clear that voters in this community want a representative who will work every day to uncover corruption and take on our biggest challenges, like fixing our broken health care system, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and reviving our economy.”
