Florida primary timeline: Andrew Gillum, Ron DeSantis, Jerry Demings win big

ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands of voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in Florida's 2018 primary. Read a timeline below:

11:30 p.m. update

9:15 p.m. update

In a major upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has been declared the winner of the Democratic nomination for Florida governor.

On Tuesday evening, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders released a statement congratulating Gillum, whom he endorsed and for whom he campaigned.

"No one person can take on the economic and political elites on their own," Sanders said. "Tonight, Floridians joined Andrew in standing up and demanding change in their community. That’s what the political revolution is all about and Andrew Gillum is helping to lead it."

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

Click here to watch anchor Greg Warmoth's interview with Gillum on "Central Florida Spotlight."

9 p.m. update

Republican Ashley Moody --- a former Hillsborough County circuit judge -- and Florida Rep. Sean Shaw (D-Tampa) have won their parties' nominations for the Florida attorney general’s race.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

8:45 p.m. update

President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to congratulate U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis on winning the Republican nomination for Florida governor.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

8:15 p.m. update

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has been declared the winner of the race for Orange County mayor.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

8 p.m. update

With President Trump's endorsement, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis wins Florida's GOP nomination for governor, beating Adam Putnam.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

8 p.m. update

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs is leading the race for Orange County School Board chair with 52 percent of the vote so far.

Orange County candidates need more than 50 percent of the vote plus one to win a position Tuesday, otherwise, the top two candidates in the race will move on to the general election.

Nancy Robbinson, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Robert Prater are also running for the position.

The new chair will replace Bill Sublette, who has served in the position for eight years.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

7:30 p.m. update

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, who is running for Orange County mayor, could win the election Tuesday if he receives more than 50 percent of the vote plus one.

He spent Tuesday waving signs along Bruton Boulevard.

If Demings wins, he said he will begin transitioning to the new role Wednesday.

"We will begin to shape the Demings administration for the coming year," he said. "That's the first thing we have to do -- bring some order to what we are about to do."

Demings is hosting a watch party at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center at The Florida Mall. He is expected to take the stage at 8 p.m.

Reporter Shannon Butler is at Demings' watch party to monitor Tuesday evening's results. Follow her on Twitter for updates.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

7 p.m. update

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who is running for the Republican nomination for Florida governor, is holding a watch party at The Terrace Hotel in Lakeland.

Putnam was a front-runner when he entered the race, but his lead tightened once President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis.

In a campaign advertisement against DeSantis, Putnam said, "We're not electing an apprentice."

Putnam was in his early 20s when he was first elected as a state representative. He later served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Putnam spent Tuesday campaigning along the I-4 corridor.

Reporter Jeff Deal is at DeSantis' watch party to monitor Tuesday evening's results. Follow him on Twitter for updates.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary.

6:45 p.m. update

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel said Tuesday that voter turnout has exceeded what it was in 2014. He said he estimates a 25 percent increase.

Much of that turnout is being attributed to the large early voting segment.

Elections officials said there we be a large push to vote early or to vote from home leading up to the general election in November.

"Being a citizen of the United States, you have a right to vote," Ertel said. "But what we really want to do is drive people to vote at home."

He said the ballot for November's election will be a two-sided because of all the constitutional amendments.

"The longer people spend in the voting booth, the longer it takes the person behind them to get their ballot and get into the voting booth," Ertel said.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

6 p.m. update

Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor, is holding a watch party at campaign headquarters in Miami's Wynwood district.

Levine campaigned in St. Petersburg earlier Tuesday.

"People want to see a change in the narrative of our state, narrative of our nation," he said. "If higher wages are important to them, health care is important to them, they'd like to see teachers being paid more, now's the time to come out."

Reporter Ken Tyndall is at Levine's watch party to monitor Tuesday evening's results. Follow him on Twitter for updates.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

5:45 p.m. update

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said Tuesday afternoon that the county has already surpassed 2014 and 2016 numbers on all phases of voting -- early voting, mailed ballots, election day voting and percentage of turnout.

Cowles said the county has set new records, and the polls don't close until 7 p.m.

5:15 p.m. update

David Hogg -- a gun control advocate and a survivor of the Valentine's Day massacre at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School -- took to Twitter on Tuesday to encourage young people to head to the polls.

"The young people will win," he said.

Some experts believe that more young voters will take part in Florida's primary elections than in previous years, because the school shooting inspired a nationwide movement among young people to vote for candidates who will change gun laws.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

5 p.m. update

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination for Florida governor, is holding a watch party at Orange County's Rosen Shingle Creek resort.

DeSantis has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who stumped for DeSantis last month in Tampa.

Trump reiterated his support for DeSantis this week in a pair of tweets.

Reporter Christopher Heath is at DeSantis' watch party to monitor Tuesday evening's results. Follow him on Twitter for updates.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

4:30 p.m. update

Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor, is holding a watch party at The Social in downtown Orlando.

Graham, who lives in Orlando, traveled to Miami and West Palm Beach to campaign earlier Tuesday.

Graham's father, former Florida Gov. and former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, is expected to attend Tuesday's watch party.

If Gwen Graham were to win her party's nomination and win the gubernatorial race, she would be Florida's first female governor.

Anchor Jorge Estevez is at Graham's watch party to monitor Tuesday evening's results. Follow him on Twitter for updates.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

4 p.m.

Thousands of Floridians headed to the polls Tuesday to vote in the state's 2018 primary.

Polls close at 7 p.m., so you still have three hours to cast your vote.

Before heading to the polls, review Channel 9's election checklist, which outlines who's running for which office, and Channel 9's voter guide, which answers voters' frequently asked questions.

Although it may be tempting, avoid snapping selfies in a polling place. Click here to read why.

Click here to watch live coverage of the 2018 Florida primary on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.

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