Canova refuses to congratulate Wasserman Schultz on victory

The primary opponent of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, refused to congratulate her on her victory Tuesday night after a bitter campaign. 

{mosads}Tim Canova, the law professor backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), said Tuesday night that he hadn’t made the traditional concession phone call to Wasserman Schultz, who won 57 percent of the vote.  

“I’ll concede that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a corporate stooge,” Canova told reporters shortly before midnight, according to the Sun Sentinel. 

“We’re fighting for American democracy,” said Canova, who got to 43 percent of the vote. “This is a rigged system and everyone knows it.”

Canova wasn’t the only losing Florida primary candidate to express ill will toward his victorious opponent Tuesday night, instead of the traditional diplomatic congratulations. 

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) declared he wouldn’t endorse his Senate primary rival, fellow Rep. Patrick Murphy. 

Murphy had been backed by the Democratic establishment over Grayson in one of the nastiest primaries of the cycle. 

Grayson was bogged down by an ethics cloud surrounding his management of a hedge fund, as well as allegations of domestic violence. 

“I’m not going to be endorsing Patrick Murphy for sure,” Grayson told The Orlando Sentinel. “He’s a Republican.”

His new wife, Dena Grayson, ran to replace him in the 9th House District but she lost her primary Tuesday night as well.  

And Carlos Beruff, the lone GOP Senate primary candidate to stay in the race against Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), took a jab at the incumbent’s original stated intention of not running for reelection.

“I made the miscalculation of taking Mr. Rubio at his word that he wouldn’t seek re-election if he lost the Presidential Primary,” Beruff said in a statement after losing to Rubio. 

Updated 4:26 p.m.