Early returns in Orange and Seminole counties show Democratic challenger Stephanie Murphy has unseated incumbent Republican John Mica.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Murphy is up by 3 points. In Orange County, where 100 percent of precincts have reported totals, Murphy received 77,470 votes to Mica’s 56,297.
Murphy, a businesswoman and former national security specialist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is a progressive Democrat who says she will bring new ideas to Washington and make improvements on gun control, LGBTQ rights and women’s issues. As a young female challenger of mixed ethnicity and an immigrant background, her win over a white male career politician symbolizes a major shift in District 7.
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This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2016.
