Republican Florida gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds rejected Bill Maher’s suggestion that racism contributed to his weaker results in several largely White Panhandle counties during the GOP primary. Donalds said the outcome reflected a crowded contest and argued that Florida voters choose candidates on merit, while Maher maintained that racial prejudice may still affect some voters.

Donalds said he won 48% of the statewide vote, or about 800,000 votes, in an 11-candidate primary. Former state senator Dave Aronberg said Donalds’ result raised questions given his fundraising and name-recognition advantage, arguing that race could have played a quiet role in some rural areas; he also warned that the general election may be more competitive than party-registration advantages suggest.