The Democratic establishment notched a victory in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday, as incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz soundly defeated progressive challenger Tim Canova.
With all precincts counted late Tuesday night, former Democratic National Committee chair Wasserman Schultz—who was ousted from that post right before the party convention in July and now has a role in Hillary Clinton’s campaign—had roughly 57 percent of the vote to Canova’s 43 percent.
But “[e]ven in the face of a loss,” the Sun Sentinel reported, “Canova told supporters…that he saw a victory for the cause of reclaiming democracy from ‘the corporate oligarchy’.”
“Look how far we’ve come,” the first-time candidate said. “We’re fighting for American democracy. This is a rigged system and everyone knows it.”
And in his concession speech, Canova couldn’t help but lob one more dig: “I will concede Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a corporate stooge,” he said.
Backing from Bernie Sanders and his grassroots supporters afforded Canova, an unknown law professor, both momentum and an unusually large war-chest; his campaign raised more than $3 million from small donors and forced Wasserman Schultz to fight for her seat for the first time in 24 years.
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