U.S. Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio cleared their first hurdles on the way to being elected to new terms by winning the Republican primaries in their respective states on Tuesday.
The 80-year-old McCain is trying to earn a sixth term representing the southwestern state of Arizona. He beat a tea party activist in the primary and moves on to face Democratic Representative Ann Kilpatrick in the November general election.
Rubio, who lost his bid to represent Republicans in the race for U.S. president, will also go up against a Democratic congressman after defeating millionaire homebuilder Carlos Beruff in the Florida primary. Rubio's November opponent is Representative Patrick Murphy.
In Florida, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz won her primary a month after resigning as chair of the Democratic National Committee.
The vote for members of Congress takes place at the same time as the contest for president on November 8. Up for election are one-third of the Senate's 100 seats and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers.
