CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republican David Jolly is the winner of a hard-fought congressional election in Florida to replace the late Rep. Bill Young.
With nearly 100 percent of the vote counted, The Associated Press says Jolly bested Democrat Alex Sink in a contest that attracted national attention and millions of dollars.
In this Nov. 23, 2013, file photo Republican David Jolly thanks supporters during a campaign rally in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. Jolly is a candidate in the GOP primary for a special election to succeed the late Republican Rep. Bill Young, who died last month. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, File)
The special election served as the first test of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul ahead of November's midterm elections. Local issues took a backseat to the health care law as both national parties and outside groups flooded the swing-voting district with ads, phone calls and mailings about "Obamacare." Democrats and Republicans used the race to audition national strategies.
While Republicans held the congressional seat for more than four decades until Young's death last year, district's voters favored Obama in the 2008 and 2012.
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