Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, successfully defeated two challengers in his party’s primary on Tuesday, paving the way for a general election campaign against former Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat who also triumphed in her primary.

Seeking his second senatorial term, Scott received 84% of the initial votes according to state data, while attorney Keith Gross received 9% and John Columbus, a former Disney performer, took 6%.

“Thank you, Florida! Excited for a big win in November,” Scott tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) soon after the early and absentee votes were counted.

Gross invested around $2.5 million in his campaign as of July 31, including promotional ads on social media platforms that criticized Scott for his budget votes that raised the deficit, as well as for signing gun control legislation after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting during his time as governor.

In contrast, Scott spent significantly more, with a hefty $27.7 million dedicated to his campaign. Columbus’s total campaign spending was only $25,000.

In her Democratic primary, Mucarsel-Powell secured 69% of the votes, while Stanley Campbell came in second with 19%. Other candidates, Brian Rush and Rod Joseph, received 7% and 5%, respectively.

“Thank you, Florida, for this honor. Over the past year, we’ve worked tirelessly to advocate for our campaign,” Mucarsel-Powell shared in a statement. “This win is not just mine; it belongs to many who have echoed that we deserve better in Florida.”

Mucarsel-Powell immigrated from Ecuador and later became an administrator at Florida International University. Her electoral history has been mixed, losing a state Senate bid in 2016 before winning a U.S. House seat in 2018. Despite serving only one term, she was defeated by U.S. Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Republican from Miami.

The Democratic establishment favored Mucarsel-Powell, which was disappointing for Campbell, a Black former U.S. Navy pilot endorsed by the Florida Democratic Black caucus. Campbell invested nearly $1 million in the primary but faced challenges when his campaign manager resigned in July.

Currently, Mucarsel-Powell has spent $10 million on her campaign and has $3.3 million available for the general election, which matches Scott’s campaign war chest of $3.3 million.

Following their victories on Tuesday, the primary winners quickly began critiquing each other’s positions, giving insight into their upcoming confrontation. Scott accused Mucarsel-Powell of holding dangerous immigration policies and labeled her a socialist.

“Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has been in favor of open borders, letting criminals and drugs infiltrate our communities. She advocates for amnesty and citizenship for them, allowing them to vote in our elections,” Scott remarked in a statement. “Her record makes it evident; she is a socialist at heart.”

Mucarsel-Powell responded by branding Scott an extremist, accusing him of infringing on fundamental rights and opportunities. “Rick Scott has tried to dismantle Social Security and Medicare as we know them, endorses a nationwide ban on abortion, and seeks to increase taxes on the middle class,” she stated.

Besides tackling Mucarsel-Powell, Scott also aims to secure the leadership of Senate Republicans if he wins in November, needing to rally support within the GOP caucus. In this race, he is competing against Senators John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota.