Dems worried that controversial ex-Rep Grayson could emerge from ‘chaotic’ Florida primary race

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The Democratic primary race to fill the House seat currently held by Florida Rep. Val Demings is a crowded one, and several people in the party's leadership are concerned that this will benefit a former congressman who they would rather not work with again.

Among the ten candidates in the primary race in Florida's 10th District, which includes Orlando, is Alan Grayson, who represented the 8th District from 2009 to 2011, and the 9th District from 2013 to 2017. Grayson drew controversy during a bid for the Senate in 2016 when he referred to a female lobbyist as a "K Street whore," cursed at reporters and threatened to report a Politico reporter to Capitol Police.

While progressive candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost has been racking up endorsements, the size of the primary field could split votes enough to allow Grayson to get through, something that has Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., "concerned."

"We know that polling is really tight, but we also know that Maxwell has got a lot of momentum on his side," Gallego told Punchbowl News. "You gotta remember [Frost] started with zero name ID, and now the last polling has him all tied."

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Then-congressman Alan Grayson speaks at an impromptu news conference after leaving the crime area where a shooting attack happened at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, U.S. June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Kolczynski (Reuters)

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., also spoke out against Grayson, saying, "Our country is made better by having representatives who reflect our rich diversity." The New Yorker accused Grayson of being "someone who wants to use their wealth to gain power."

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., slammed Grayson for including past statements of praise from prominent Democrats who have not endorsed him in this race.

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One campaign mailer quotes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as saying, "I love Alan Grayson." This was from a 2018 Tampa Bay Times interview, in which Pelosi addressed Grayon's primary challenge against Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla. While Pelosi did use the quoted statement, she followed it by saying, "I'm sad that Alan chose to come back in that race." The Speaker did say she "would love to have him back," speaking of Grayson, but that she would prefer that "he would run in a different seat."

Weighing in on this year's primary election, Soto spoke bluntly.

"It's a chaotic race," he told Punchbowl. "That's all I have to say."

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The same mailer also used complimentary language from President Biden and former President Barack Obama.

"It is incredibly deceptive. If you can only try to win by lying to your future constituents, it’s kind of sad, right?" Pocan told Punchbowl. "And I just wish that Alan would not think about Alan for a change … unfortunately, some people are just very selfish."

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In response, Grayson asked if Pelosi ever spoke of Pocan that way. He also stated that he had been "in the trenches with Nancy Pelosi for six years," contrasting that with the 25-year-old Frost's inexperience.

Florida's primaries take place on Tuesday, with early voting currently underway.