Former news anchor Ryan Elijah beat Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) after allegations of domestic violence, stolen valor, and financial impropriety beleaguered Mills’s campaign.
Elijah beat Mills, bringing in 46.9% of the vote compared to Mills’s 34.5% when the Associated Press called the race at 8:08 p.m.
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Elijah’s win comes after Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) endorsed against the incumbent, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) also declared he was not supporting Mills.
“We need leaders in Congress who serve with integrity, energy, and an unwavering commitment to the people who sent them there,” the two Florida Republicans wrote. “Ryan Elijah is that leader. We are confident he will represent our shared values with distinction and deliver results for the families of Seminole and Volusia Counties. We wholeheartedly endorse Ryan Elijah and urge our fellow Republicans to join us in supporting him.”
President Donald Trump endorsed the embattled congressman at the beginning of this year, but has recently steered clear of Mills. The president has issued repeated endorsements for Florida candidates on social media ahead of the primary, but left Mills out of the mix.
The House Ethics Committee said it would look into a myriad of allegations against Mills, including allegations that he violated campaign finance laws, improperly received gifts, special favors, misused congressional resources, and committed sexual misconduct or dating violence. Mills has denied any wrongdoing.
Mills’s loss comes after he had a dip in the polls last week, despite his moderate lead earlier this month. He was running for a third term for a seat that Democrats labeled as “in play” amid his slew of allegations. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report had shifted the seat from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”
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Trump would have carried the central Florida district, which includes part of Daytona Beach, by 13 points in 2024. The seat did not substantially change during the state’s 2026 redistricting process, which began after the Supreme Court scaled back minority-voting protections in the Voting Rights Act.
But with Mills and his baggage out of the race, Democrats’ chances to flip the seat slim drastically. Elijah will face Bale Dalton after Dalton won the Democratic primary in Tuesday’s election.
