Voters in Florida took part in primary elections Tuesday, resulting in several defeats for candidates backed by high-profile party figures and the state's political establishment. State Representative Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, defeating retired Lt. Col. Alex Vindman. On the Republican side, two candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump lost their primary bids for U.S. House seats.
Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville community organizer and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, secured more than 55 percent of the vote. Her victory came despite a significant fundraising gap; Nixon raised less than $1 million, while Vindman raised more than $20 million, primarily through small-dollar donors. Nixon will face Republican Senator Ashley Moody in the general election, who was appointed to the seat by Governor Ron DeSantis.
In Florida's 7th Congressional District, former television anchor Ryan Elijah defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Cory Mills by approximately 12 percentage points. Mills had received an early endorsement from President Trump but faced opposition from other Republicans, including Governor DeSantis and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, following investigations into his conduct. In the 19th District, Trump-endorsed candidate Catalina Lauf lost to media executive Jim Schwartzel by about 7 points in a race that included former congressmen Madison Cawthorn and Chris Collins.
In the 24th Congressional District, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III won the Democratic primary to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. Gilbert defeated a field of six other candidates, including State Senator Shevrin Jones, who conceded the race while trailing by about 2 percentage points. Gilbert, who centered his campaign on affordability and healthcare access, will face Republican T.E. Brown in November.
Voters in these districts will notice changes in their representation starting in January 2027. In the 7th District, the replacement of Mills—who faced a restraining order and House investigations—with Elijah could alter the district's influence within the Republican caucus. In the 24th District, Gilbert’s focus on lowering the Medicare eligibility age and raising Medicaid income limits signals a specific policy direction for a district covering parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. These shifts occur as Florida residents report frustration with a "cost-of-living crisis" and the economic status quo.
The general election is scheduled for November, where the winners of these primaries will face their partisan or independent opponents. The outcome of the Senate race between Nixon and Moody will be a key factor in the national effort by Democrats to gain control of the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, the Republican victories by candidates who lacked the president's endorsement may set a new precedent for how much weight Trump’s support carries in Florida’s future legislative and statewide contests. Candidates will now move into the general election phase, with final votes to be cast on Election Day in November 2026.