Democratic Florida gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum says he spent only 7 percent of what his defeated primary opponents did

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum won Tuesday's Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary in a surprising, narrow victory over former congresswoman Gwen Graham, businessman Jeff Greene, and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.

His opponents were favored to win not only because they were seen as more moderate candidates, but also because the sheer size of their war chests made Gillum's path to victory look like a long-shot. The new nominee told MSNBC on Wednesday how pleased he was that he managed to pull ahead despite being the "underdog" of the race.

"It feels real good," he said. "My four opponents combined may have spent close to $90 million, to our [$6 million]."

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Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough asked Gillum how he had pulled off such a "shock" to the political world, and Gillum explained that he had focused on issues affecting "everyday Floridians" rather than on labels to define his place on the political spectrum. Gillum told CNN that he ran his campaign like "Seabiscuit," traveling all over the state to make up for a lack of funding to buy major TV ad spots. "People didn't think we had a chance, but we did," he said. He told New Day that he was striving to give Floridians "something to vote for, and not just against."

Gillum will face Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) for the governor's seat, after DeSantis handily won the GOP primary Tuesday. DeSantis has criticized the mayor for his platform, which includes replacing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and introducing Medicare-for-all. Watch the full MSNBC interview with Gillum below, and read more about Gillum's upset victory here at The Week. Summer Meza