Voters in Florida head to the polls on Tuesday as a Republican campaigning to become the state's first Black governor faces a crowded field and Democrats wage primary battles for a reduced pool of left-leaning seats under redrawn congressional maps. Byron Donalds is banking on President Donald Trump’s endorsement to claim the Republican gubernatorial nomination ahead of November. He is challenged in the primary by Lt.
Jay Collins and political newcomer James Fishback. Leading the Democratic field for governor is David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who changed party affiliation last year. Ron DeSantis, a prominent conservative who has both aligned and clashed with Trump, cannot seek election to a third straight term due to limits.
Tuesday’s primary contests will finalize the November matchups, testing Trump’s political influence in his adopted home state alongside Democrats' efforts to make Florida competitive once again nationally. Although the state has swung decisively toward Republicans since Trump's 2016 victory, Democrats are aiming to take advantage of his declining favorability numbers to recover lost ground. In the Democratic primary for a U.S.
Senate special election to finish Marco Rubio’s term following his appointment as Trump's secretary of state, two candidates are competing. Progressive state lawmaker Angie Nixon faces retired Army Lt. Alex Vindman, the former National Security Council staffer who gave testimony during Trump's 2019 impeachment trial.
On the Republican side, Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed by DeSantis, holds a solid position as she runs with Trump's backing for the nomination to serve out the final two years. The top congressional primary features veteran Democratic U.S.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former U.S. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, and additional contenders competing in a newly redrawn southern Florida district. Wasserman Schultz, who is white, seeks a 12th term from voters in this majority-minority, plurality Black seat.
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