Florida Democrat Patrick Erin Murphy was defeated handily by incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday, giving Republicans a boost in its effort to maintain control over the Senate.
The Associated Press called the race for Rubio at 8:05 P.M.
Rubio's late announcement that he would run to keep his seat dashed high hopes that Democrats had to gain a seat in Florida with Murphy, who emerged from a weak Democratic field to become the party's nominee. NBC's Chuck Todd said Democrats "really blew it" by selecting Murphy.
Shortly after Rubio announced his run, it was reported that many of Murphy's claims, such as that he was a small business owner and a certified public accountant, were gross exaggerations. He never owned a small business and never passed the required tests to be a CPA in Florida.
Murphy was also dragged down after the Washington Free Beacon reported that Murphy spent most of his life going by the name "Erin," which is widely considered to be a girl's name.
Murphy was dependent on money from his wealthy father, who has contributed millions towards his son's political career. During the campaign, Murphy was caught spending holiday weekends on his father's yacht, a 97-foot vessel named "Cocktails."