Florida holds 1st major primaries after Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting
Florida Voters Head to the Ballot in First Post-Redistricting Primary
Tyunews.com – With Tuesday's primary election, Florida enters a new electoral era shaped by the congressional map the state legislature adopted earlier this year. The redrawn districts give Republicans a realistic path to capturing as many as four seats come November, a shift that would bolster the GOP's ability to hold onto the House majority. Analysts project that only four districts in the state would remain under Democratic control after the midterms.
Democratic Incumbents Face New Terrain
Four sitting Democratic members of Congress find their districts exposed under the new boundaries: Reps. Darren Soto, Jared Moskowitz, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Kathy Castor. Each now navigates a district whose shape and demographics differ sharply from what they previously represented.
Wasserman Schultz opted to contest the newly drawn Florida 20th Congressional District, a majority-minority area. That choice has generated friction within the Black Democratic community, which already bears the weight of mid-decade redistricting maneuvers carried out in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Alabama.
Moskowitz, who earlier this year confirmed his reelection bid in the redrawn 25th Congressional District, faces a spirited primary challenge from progressive Oliver Larkin. The contest positions his seat as one of the most attractive pick-up targets for Republicans heading into November.
Castor's situation looks different. Although her newly drawn 14th Congressional District now splits Tampa and St. Petersburg, the current political climate does not favor Republican challengers, giving her a strong prospect of holding the seat.
Democrats Turn Their Aim on Cory Mills
On the Republican side, Democrats are zeroing in on Rep. Cory Mills, whose campaign has been dogged by multiple controversies. An active House ethics investigation looms over him, and last year a judge issued a restraining order after his former girlfriend alleged he threatened to circulate sexually explicit videos of her. Mills has publicly denied the claims.
Before his primary in the state's 7th Congressional District, two Florida House Republicans — Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos — threw their support behind Mills' challenger, Ryan Elijah, a former news anchor and NFL sideline reporter.
"We need leaders in Congress who serve with integrity, energy, and an unwavering commitment to the people who sent them there," Luna and Haridopolos said in a joint social-media statement.
The endorsements land at a moment when Mills is also struggling to fund his reelection effort. Even so, he retains the backing of President Donald Trump.
Gubernatorial Race Takes Shape
Attention will also turn to the Florida governor's race. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds enters the GOP gubernatorial primary as the clear front-runner and is widely expected to lock up the nomination. Incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited and will not seek another term.
Donalds' campaign has drawn substantial Republican support, including Trump's endorsement and a $10 million check from GOP mega-donor Ken Griffin — the largest single contribution his campaign has received to date. Should Donalds secure the nomination and prevail in November, he would become the first Black governor elected in Florida and the seventh Black governor to serve in any state.
In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, David Jolly — a former Republican previously elected to Congress — leads the field as the front-runner.
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