Florida holds primary elections with Trump-backed Byron Donalds leading governor's race

Aug 17, 2026

Florida, Alaska, and California hold pivotal primary elections on August 18, 2026, shaping the battle for control of Congress. In Florida, Trump-backed Representative Byron Donalds leads the Republican gubernatorial primary to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis, while a controversial new congressional map has forced Democratic incumbents like Debbie Wasserman Schultz to scramble into new districts. Meanwhile, progressive primary challenges test party unity in Florida and California, and Alaska's ranked-choice Senate primary pits incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan against Democrat Mary Peltola amid ballot confusion from a same-named challenger.

Florida Republican gubernatorial primary

▪United States Representative Byron Donalds is the frontrunner in the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis.
▪United States Representative Byron Donalds secured an endorsement from Donald Trump for the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary, but did not receive an endorsement from Governor Ron DeSantis.
▪Former United States Representative David Jolly, a former Republican who became a Democrat, is the leading candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Florida.
▪The Florida Republican gubernatorial primary field includes Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, former state House Speaker Paul Renner, and James Fishback.

DeSantis congressional redistricting

▪United States Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz opted to run in Florida's 20th Congressional District, a historically Black and safely Democratic seat, after redistricting made her existing seat more favorable to Republicans.
▪Florida's new congressional map, approved by the Republican-led state legislature, is expected to net Republicans up to four additional seats in the House of Representatives.
▪In Florida's newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District, Republican candidates Michael Carbonara, Belinda Keiser, and Casey Askar have each invested over $2 million of their personal funds into their primary campaigns.
▪United States Representative Jared Moskowitz opted to run for reelection in Florida's redrawn 25th Congressional District, which Donald Trump would have carried by 9 percentage points in 2024.

GOP House primary controversies

▪The Republican primary to succeed Byron Donalds in Florida's 19th Congressional District features former New York Representative Chris Collins, former North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorn, and former Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis.
▪In Florida's 6th Congressional District, Republican Representative Randy Fine faces a primary challenge from social media personality Dan Bilzerian, who has run an openly antisemitic campaign.
▪Donald Trump endorsed conservative activist Catalina Lauf in the Republican primary for Florida's 19th Congressional District, where she has benefited from $4.1 million in outside spending.

Democratic progressive primary challenges

▪In California's 14th Congressional District special election runoff, progressive State Senator Aisha Wahab faces transit board director Melissa Hernandez, who has received over $3 million in campaign support from AIPAC-affiliated groups.
▪Democratic Socialist of America-endorsed activist Oliver Larkin is challenging moderate incumbent Representative Jared Moskowitz in the Democratic primary for Florida's 25th Congressional District.
▪In Florida's 20th Congressional District, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz faces primary challenges from progressive activist Elijah Manley, local commissioner Dale Holness, and former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Alaska Senate ranked-choice election

▪In Alaska's at-large congressional district primary, incumbent Republican Representative Nick Begich III faces a challenge from independent Bill Hill.
▪Incumbent Alaska Senator Dan S. Sullivan faces ballot confusion from a Republican challenger named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., whom the state Supreme Court ruled could remain on the ballot.
▪In the Alaska Senate primary, incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola are competing on the same nonpartisan ballot under the state's ranked-choice voting system.

House incumbent ethics investigations

▪Representative Cory Mills faces a primary challenge in Florida's 7th Congressional District from former television news anchor Ryan Elijah, who is endorsed by Representatives Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos.
▪Florida Representative Cory Mills is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct, and an assault allegation.
▪Former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress in April 2026 ahead of a potential expulsion vote after the House Ethics Committee found her guilty of stealing pandemic relief funds.