Florida held its primary elections on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the state. The Associated Press declared former Fox 35 news anchor Ryan Elijah the winner of the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Florida’s 7th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Cory Mills. In Orange County, Angie Gallo was elected chair of the School Board with 59% of the vote. These results set the stage for November general elections where voters will decide key state and local positions.
U.S. House and Senate Races
In Florida’s 7th Congressional District, Elijah beat several challengers in a competitive Republican primary. Mills faced allegations of domestic violence involving a former girlfriend, which he denies. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, abandoned Mills ahead of the vote. President Donald Trump initially backed Mills but did not include him on an endorsement list released Monday.
On the Democratic side for the 7th District, Bale Dalton will face Elijah in November. In the U.S. Senate race, Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary against Alex Vindman by a margin of 55% to 45%. Nixon, described as a progressive from Jacksonville, ran a frugal campaign after being arrested during a sit-in at the governor’s office regarding redistricting maps. She will face Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody.
Orange County Local Elections
Voters in Orange County selected leadership for local offices and school boards. Angie Gallo, an incumbent District 1 member endorsed by local Democrats and the teacher’s union, defeated Alicia Farrant to become School Board chair. Two new board members were also elected, while a third seat remains undecided pending a November runoff.
For Orange County Mayor Clerk of Court, Tiffany Moore Russell and tech entrepreneur Chris Messina advanced to a run-off after beating former Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy. In the race for Clerk of Courts, Roberta Walton Johnson defeated Rick Singh with approximately 53% of the vote. Four Orange County Commission seats also went to runoffs in November.
State Cabinet and Other Races
The Associated Press reported that Blaise Ingoglia won the Republican nomination for Chief Financial Officer, while Annette Taddeo secured the Democratic nod. Wilton Simpson claimed victory as Agriculture Commissioner on the Republican side, with Joey Mendoza Atkins winning the Democratic primary.
In Lake County, incumbents Leslie Campione and Sean Parks won their GOP primaries. In Osceola County, Democrat Mary Downey and Republican Donald Shroyer will compete for a Commission seat in November. Statewide, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds secured the Republican nomination for governor, while former Rep. David Jolly picked up the Democratic nod to replace outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis.
