Developing storyline

2026 Florida primary elections reshape key races

Florida's August 2026 primaries produce upsets and new nominees across congressional, Senate and gubernatorial contests, setting up pivotal November matchups.

5 stories228 sourcesUpdated Aug 19, 2026

In this storyline:Donald John Trump Michael Bean Cathrine Grage Florida's 16th congressional district Ashley Moody Byron Donalds John Rutherford Cory Mills

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total articles across this storyline · last 72h

Key developments

Aug 19, 2026
Florida's 2026 primaries set the stage for governor and Senate races under new district maps, with a Trump-backed field led by Byron Donalds.
182 sources on this →
Aug 19, 2026
Ryan Elijah, a former Fox Orlando anchor, upsets incumbent Cory Mills to win the GOP nomination in Florida's 7th Congressional District.
11 sources on this →
Aug 19, 2026
Angie Nixon wins the Democratic nomination for Florida's U.S. Senate seat, defeating Alex Vindman despite his fundraising edge.
11 sources on this →
Aug 19, 2026
Trump-endorsed Sydney Gruters captures the Republican nomination in Florida's newly redrawn 16th Congressional District.

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Photo: Edmond Dantès / Wikimedia Commons (Pexels)

Politics

Florida Primary Underway With New Maps and Races

Florida’s upcoming primaries will determine the governor and the remaining U.S. Senate term, with Donalds atop a Trump-backed Republican field and DeSantis-aligned contenders vying for the nomination, while Democrats look to end a long statewide win drought; incumbent Ashley Moody seeks the Rubio seat with a relatively undisputed path. The election landscape also features DeSantis not backing Cory Mills in the GOP primary, a Florida-focused prediction market for the FL-06 race in 2026, and reporting on St. Johns County’s Aug. 18 primary day rules and a related county employee whistleblower case.

182 sources

Photo: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Politics

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Aug 19, 2026

Centrist Rep. Jared Moskowitz defeats DSA-backed challenger Oliver Larkin in the Florida 25th District Democratic primary.

7 sources on this →

Elijah Upsets Mills in Florida's 7th GOP Primary

Ryan Elijah, a former Fox Orlando news anchor, won Florida’s 7th Congressional District GOP primary, defeating incumbent Cory Mills in a high-profile upset amid controversy surrounding Mills. Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton in the November 2026 general election as Mills contends with ethics investigations and other scandals.

11 sources

Photo: Florida House of Representatives / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Politics

Angie Nixon wins Florida Democratic Senate nomination

Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat, defeating Alex Vindman despite his fundraising advantage, with the AP calling the race and positioning her for the November contest against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody. If she wins, Nixon could become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator and has positioned herself as a progressive counterweight in the race.

11 sources

Photo: Cathrine Grage — Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Health

Trump-Endorsed Gruters Captures Florida 16th GOP Nomination

Trump-backed Sydney Gruters won the Republican nomination in Florida’s 16th District and advances to the general election as the district takes a new shape, with high-profile endorsements signaling a pivotal race. In the Democratic primaries, LaShonda Holloway captured Florida’s 4th District nomination to face Michael Kirwin in November, while Rachel Grage won the 5th District Democratic primary to challenge incumbent John Rutherford.

17 sources

Photo: Ike Hayman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Politics

Moskowitz Tops DSA-Backed Challenger in Florida Primary

U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz, a centrist Democrat, won the Florida 25th District Democratic primary against DSA-backed Oliver Larkin as the state’s newly redrawn map makes the seat a November battleground. The contest underscored a clash between a moderate incumbent who touts bipartisanship and a progressive challenger pushing Medicare for All and other bold reforms, with Moskowitz emphasizing cross‑party appeal while Larkin argued Democrats must embrace a bolder agenda.

7 sources