Senate races set in Alaska, Florida

Florida's gubernatorial race has also been set. Trump-backed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds will face off against Republican-turned-Democrat David Jolly in November. Tonight, the primary is over. Tonight, we put aside our differences. Tonight, we are one united Republican Party. To my Democratic friends, thank you for this opportunity. The values that hold us together are big enough to build a coalition tonight to win the governorship in November. CBS News Political Reporter Zak Hudak joins us now with more. So, Zak, what are your takeaways from the governor and Senate races in Florida? Lindsey, on the Senate side, I would say the biggest takeaway is that what the Democratic establishment expected to happen in their primary is not what happened. Alex Vindman was really a top recruit for them. He, if you'll recall from Trump's first presidency, was a whistleblower that was a key part of that first impeachment of President Trump, and I think Democrats thought that he would really energize the base as a potential opposition to Trump but someone who was a little bit more moderate. What ended up happening, as you pointed out, is that Angie Nixon won, and this is the first time that we've had a DSA candidate actually win statewide. You had El-Sayed in Michigan, but he's not officially a Democratic Socialist. So this is noteworthy for the DSA. Over on the governor's side, I think the most interesting thing about that is the way this is teed up for the general election. So you will have, on the GOP side, Byron Donalds, who is an up-and-coming rising star, part of the MAGA movement, close ally of President Trump, facing off against a former US House member who used to be a Republican. And because, in part, of President Trump, he changed parties and has been a hugely vocal critic. So that election really gives Floridians the option to double down on the MAGA movement and on becoming more and more Republican, as the state really has for the past decade, or turning the corner and moving back toward a little bit more of a purple or moderate state. All right, let's shift gears and talk about Alaska. Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's first general-election ad is out today. Let's listen.

There's only one thing that matters to me, getting the job done for Alaska. And I'll take on anyone, including Democrats, anyone in the Lower 48 who doesn't understand what Alaska needs. So between that and her campaign rejecting former VP Kamala Harris's support, let's talk about her distancing herself from sort of the establishment in a different way other than socialists. I was really taken by Major Garrett's conversation in The Takeoutthat, look, you can't be a normal Democrat and win in Alaska. Can you pick up on that? Yeah, Lindsey, I think it's particularly interesting to look at with reference to the DSA because those candidates are running to the left of the establishment of the Democratic Party. In Alaska, in order to win statewide, you really need to show that you are a very independent candidate, that you will put Alaska first. So, in a way, she's actually running a little bit to the right of the Democratic Party, sort of the inverse strategy of those democratic socialists and how they're trying to win these races.

We'll see if it pans out. Zak Hudak, thank you.