Disgraced DWS Poised To Win Florida Primary Over Sanders-Backed Progressive (TWEET/VIDEO)

While Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders long ago endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the divide between party progressives and establishment figures still plays out in smaller contests.

Perhaps the greatest intra-party battle this election cycle happens Tuesday when Florida Democrats decide whether to stick with disgraced former Democratic National Party chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, or throw in with Liberal college professor, Tim Canova.

Unsurprisingly, Canova has played the role of anti-establishment candidate, promising an overhaul in policy and party organization.

For anyone challenging a Democratic incumbent from the left, that’s a standard move, but in this year of internecine struggle on both sides of the aisle, Canova’s strategy—and his opponent—garnered national attention. Most notably, he picked an endorsement from Sanders himself, who was so fed up with Wasserman Schultz that in in May he told CNN:

“Clearly, I favor her opponent. His views are much closer to mine than as to Wasserman Schultz’s.”

Canova has outraised the nationally-known incumbent. The Sun-Sentinel reports Canova raked in more than $3.3 million to Wasserman Schultz’s $2.2 million, mostly through small donations throughout the country.

All politics is local. Polls for congressional races can be hard to come by, but a Sun-Sentinel/Florida Atlantic University poll released Aug. 20 showed Wasserman Schultz up 10 points.

And while an email hack of the Democratic National Committee offices revealed a strong institutional bias for Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, forcing Wasserman Schultz to resign her DNC chairmanship on the eve of this year’s convention, the poll showed 58 percent of Democrats living in her Pembroke Pines-based district still have a positive view of her.

Schultz, the savvy and experienced campaigner, fills her social media with reminders of major endorsements and calls for voters to go out early en masse:

Florida holds its state primaries late in the year, so this could be one of the last battlegrounds between the Clinton wing of the party and demoralized Sanders supporters. Some former Sanders backers launched the Brand New Congress aimed at a complete overthrow of Washington in two years.

A Wasserman Schultz victory Tuesday evening could deliver one of multiple blows to Sunshine State left-wingers. Personal scandals have likely undone Liberal firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson’s campaign against White House favorite Rep. Patrick Murphy in the Democratic primary, rivals for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat.

Polls show DCCC favorite Val Demings beating all comers in an Orlando contest.

But while progressives in Florida may be in for a difficult wake-up call, at least the primary season will now be over. While not the apple-cart tumbler many revolution-minded voters desired, such a reset always looked unlikely.

Just as Sanders couldn’t match President Obama’s Clinton-usurping magic from 2008, first-timer Canova always seemed the underdog, even as he out-raised an incumbent. Now it’s time for a gut check.

Beyond the Big Sugar contributions, what does Wasserman Schultz represent?

Well she was the first Jewish woman ever elected to Congress from Florida, passed legislation protecting women’s abortion rights, and was part of a House sit-in this year demanding gun control after the Pulse shootings. A cancer survivor, she has fought for awareness programs targeting people of color who are at risk. In other words, she’s still a Democrat, albeit not as Liberal as Canova.

In a heavily Democratic district, this primary provides the final drama of the year here. If Wasserman Schultz wins tonight, she will be sworn in to another term in January. Should Canova pull an upset, he will sail through the general election as well. Murphy, though, can’t celebrate his victory over Grayson for long before contending with Rubio, a universally known incumbent Republican, in the Senate race.

And while Clinton holds a strong lead in the polls today over Republican nominee Donald Trump, that can change at any second.

Primary battles potentially reset the direction of a party—or fail to. But it’s worth remembering the direction Clinton and Wasserman Schultz want for the party doesn’t seem distant from the path of Sanders or Canova.

What now? Turn the sights on the enemy. With Trump and Rubio, there are real monsters on that side of the ballot this year, ones who make Wasserman Schultz seem every bit the “progressive champion” her campaign declares her to be.

Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video

Jacob Ogles has been covering politics in the state of Florida for most of the past 16 years. His words have appeared in The Advocate, Liberal America, Wired and Vibe, as well as local media including SRQ Magazine and The News-Press in Fort Myers. He voted for Hillary Clinton eight years ago and is glad the country has finally caught up. Follow him @jacobogles.