TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – California didn’t work out for U.S. Senate candidate Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente. But there’s always Florida.
The eccentric San Diego businessman, who has paid a $10,440 qualifying fee to force a Republican primary with Florida Gov. Rick Scott for a U.S. Senate seat, placed eighth Tuesday in California’s “jungle” senatorial primary.
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De La Fuente, who has also filed to run in U.S. Senate contests in Minnesota, Washington and Wyoming, collected 2.2 percent of the overall vote in the Golden State, according to preliminary results posted by the California Secretary of State.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., topped the race with 43.8 percent of the primary vote, followed by fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, who got 11.3 percent. Five Republicans got from 8.8 percent to 3.1 percent.
In California’s primary system, voters can pick any candidate, regardless of party, with the top-two vote-getters advancing to the general election --- a process that has become known as a “jungle” primary.
In an interview with NBC News, De La Fuente wasn’t shy about his multi-state effort, noting that it only cost him $200 to apply to run in Wyoming, where he likes to ski.
"I'm the first person in history to go for more than two states for Senate,” he told NBC News. “Nobody has ever thought about it. Nobody has ever read the rules."
De La Fuente’s mostly campaign website, which gets a link on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, says he wants to “represent you” in the Senate to fight “causes that affect us the most.”
He then notes: “We need to preserve our beautiful California coastline.”
Florida laws don’t address a candidate --- other than president and vice president --- simultaneously running for office in more than one state.