Florida Election Results: Byron Donalds and David Jolly Set for Governor’s Race as Angie Nixon Scores Senate Upset
Florida voters delivered a series of major political developments in Tuesday’s primary elections, setting up a high-profile November governor’s race between Republican Rep. Byron Donalds and former Republican Rep. David Jolly, while Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon pulled off a major upset in the U.S. Senate primary.
The results reshaped several of Florida’s most important statewide contests and offered an early look at the political battles that will dominate the state during the 2026 general election. The governor’s race will determine who succeeds Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is barred from seeking a third term because of Florida’s term limits.
Donalds, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, won the Republican nomination for governor after defeating a field that included Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and conservative activist James Fishback. His victory puts him in position to become Florida’s first Black governor if he wins the November election.
Trump’s endorsement was a major factor in the Republican contest. Donalds entered the primary with substantial support from the president and built his campaign around conservative priorities while presenting himself as a candidate capable of carrying the Republican Party forward after DeSantis.
The victory also demonstrated the continuing influence of Trump’s political organization in Florida.
Donalds has represented southwest Florida in Congress since 2021 and became one of the state’s most prominent Republican politicians. His rise accelerated after Trump endorsed his gubernatorial campaign, helping him establish a commanding position in the crowded Republican field.
He will now face Jolly, who won the Democratic nomination.
Jolly is a former Republican congressman who later became a Democrat and has positioned himself as a more moderate alternative to Florida’s increasingly conservative political establishment. His victory gives Democrats a candidate who hopes to compete in a state that has moved strongly toward Republicans in recent statewide elections.
The general election is scheduled for November 3.
The contest is expected to attract national attention because Florida has become one of the most important Republican strongholds in the country. Democrats have not won the state’s gubernatorial election since 1994, making Jolly’s challenge a difficult one even as the party looks to capitalize on changing voter attitudes.
While the governor’s race dominated much of the attention, the Democratic Senate primary produced one of the night’s biggest surprises.
Angie Nixon, a progressive state representative and Democratic socialist, defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Nixon’s victory was widely viewed as an upset because Vindman entered the contest with greater national recognition and establishment support. Her win demonstrated the ability of a grassroots progressive campaign to overcome a better-known opponent in a major statewide race.
Nixon will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November.
If Nixon wins the general election, she would become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator, adding another historic dimension to the state’s 2026 elections.
Her victory also represents an important moment for progressive Democrats in Florida.
The Democratic Socialists of America celebrated the result as a major statewide breakthrough. Nixon did not rely primarily on the support of the party’s most nationally recognized progressive figures. Instead, her campaign emphasized grassroots organizing and long-standing relationships within Florida communities.
The upset could also influence the broader debate over the direction of the Democratic Party.
Florida has traditionally been a difficult state for progressive candidates, particularly after Republicans consolidated control over state government. Nixon’s nomination suggests that Democratic primary voters remain open to candidates advocating a more ambitious approach to issues such as health care, education and economic policy.
Republicans are likely to make Nixon’s political ideology a central issue during the general election campaign.
The Senate contest will therefore become another major test of Florida’s political identity.
The primary results also produced notable changes in several congressional races.
Republican Rep. Cory Mills lost his primary after facing a series of controversies, including allegations that had created concerns within his own party. Ryan Elijah, a former television newscaster, won the Republican nomination and will advance to the general election.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also won her primary in a newly redrawn South Florida district.
The results reflected the importance of Florida’s newly adjusted congressional boundaries, which have changed the political landscape for several incumbents and challengers.
The state’s redistricting has forced numerous candidates to compete in districts that differ significantly from the ones they previously represented.
The Florida primary was therefore about more than choosing nominees.
It also provided voters with an early indication of how the state’s political coalitions are changing ahead of the November midterms.
For Republicans, Donalds’ victory reinforced Trump’s influence over the party.
For Democrats, Jolly’s nomination offers an opportunity to present a more moderate statewide candidate, while Nixon’s Senate victory demonstrates that progressive voters remain a powerful force within the party.
The two statewide contests will now develop along very different lines.
Donalds is expected to campaign as a conservative aligned with Trump’s political agenda, while Jolly is likely to emphasize his break with the Republican Party and argue that Florida needs a different direction.
The contrast could make the governor’s race one of the most closely watched contests in the country.
Donalds’ potential to become Florida’s first Black governor also adds historical significance to the election. He would join a growing national field of Black gubernatorial candidates seeking to lead states across the country.
Jolly, meanwhile, faces the challenge of convincing voters in a Republican-leaning state that he can win statewide despite the Democratic Party’s recent struggles.
The Senate contest presents an equally complicated dynamic.
Nixon’s progressive platform could energize Democratic voters, but Republicans are expected to portray her political ideology as too far left for Florida.
Moody will enter the general election as the Republican incumbent, giving the GOP a significant structural advantage.
The November contests will therefore test whether Florida’s political environment is changing or whether Republicans can maintain their dominant position.
The Florida election results 2026 have already produced several historic and unexpected developments.
Byron Donalds has secured the Republican nomination for governor and will face David Jolly, while Angie Nixon has emerged from the Democratic Senate primary after defeating a better-known rival.
Together, the results set up a November election season filled with competing visions for Florida’s future.
The governor’s race will determine who follows DeSantis, while the Senate contest could determine whether Republicans retain their hold on one of the country’s most politically consequential states.
For now, the primary results have given voters a clear set of choices.
Donalds will attempt to extend Republican control of the governor’s mansion, while Jolly will try to deliver Democrats their first gubernatorial victory in more than three decades.
Nixon, meanwhile, will seek to turn her primary upset into an even bigger breakthrough against Moody.
The November election will determine which of those candidates can translate Tuesday’s victories into statewide power.
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