Florida holds primaries for Governor and Congress

What This is

• Florida holds primaries to choose party nominees for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House seats ahead of November.
• The primaries are the first run under a new congressional map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that reshaped districts and forced some incumbents and candidates into new matchups.
• Critics argue the new map favors Republicans in most districts, and several previews said it is expected to help the GOP in the fight for U.S. House seats.
• In the Republican governor primary, Rep. Byron Donalds was widely described as the front-runner and had Donald Trump’s endorsement.
• On the Democratic side for governor, David Jolly, a former Republican who recently became a Democrat, campaigned on trying to make Florida competitive again.
• Florida also held a special U.S. Senate primary to fill Marco Rubio’s term, with Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody described as the likely GOP nominee and Democrats competing for their nomination.
• Several Democratic House primaries featured challenges from the party’s left, including a Democratic Socialists of America-backed campaign against Rep. Jared Moskowitz in a redrawn district.
• Some Republican House primaries were shaped by scandal and ethics concerns, including Rep. Cory Mills facing a House Ethics investigation and loss of support from Gov. DeSantis and other Florida Republicans.
• Former President Trump cast a mail ballot in Florida’s primary even though he has often criticized mail voting in the past.

Why This Matters

• Florida’s nominees will shape who runs one of the biggest swing-prone states in national politics.
• Redrawn House districts can change which party controls Congress without voters changing their views much.
• The primaries show how much influence Trump still has over Republican candidates and party donors.
• Democratic infighting over ideology affects turnout, fundraising, and who the party thinks it can win with.
• Ethics and scandal issues test whether voters punish candidates for personal and legal controversy.