GOP primaries feature outsiders vs. establishment

WASHINGTON - Political novice Rick Scott pushed past veteran Bill McCollum to win Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary yesterday, and Rep. Kendrick Meek prevailed in the state's Senate Democratic nomination over upstart Jeff Greene as voters split on the merits of establishment candidates vs. wealthy outsiders.

In big-name races elsewhere, Sens. John McCain and Lisa Murkowski counted on voters to reward political experience as they faced spirited Republican primary challenges in Arizona and Alaska 10 weeks before the general election. McCain won his primary, defeating former Rep. J. D. Hayworth.

Nominating contests in five states - Vermont also was voting, and Oklahoma held GOP runoffs - highlighted dominant themes, including anti-establishment anger and tea party challenges from the right. But the early results indicated that if there was a single pattern to the night, it was the lack of one.

In the extraordinarily bitter GOP race for Florida governor, Scott's financial might and criticism of his opponent as a typical tax-raising politician proved too much for McCollum, the state's attorney general and a former congressman with the support of national party leaders in Washington.

Scott, who made a fortune in the health care industry and spent $39 million of it blanketing the state with TV ads, will face Alex Sink, the state's chief financial officer who sailed to the Democratic nomination. The race is certain to be one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial contests this fall.

In an equally nasty Senate race, Meek toppled Greene, a big-spending real estate tycoon whose links to boxer Mike Tyson and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss drew headlines, in the Democratic Senate nomination fight. The four-term congressman will compete against Republican Marco Rubio, who easily secured the GOP nod, and Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican who is running as an independent.

Murkowski was opposed in Alaska by Sarah Palin-endorsed Joe Miller, an attorney.

In Vermont, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, first elected in 1974, coasted to renomination for what is likely to be a new term in November.

In Arizona, Jan Brewer won the Republican nomination for another term as governor.

Primary voters this year have shown both a readiness to fire veteran lawmakers and a willingness to keep them.

The tea party has had mixed success. It won big in Nevada, Kentucky, Colorado and Utah GOP Senate contests but lost just about everywhere else.