FORT MYERS, Florida — The Sunshine State is famously a place where people go for a fresh start. In the political realm, a looming Florida congressional Republican primary is testing the outer boundaries of that adage.

The 12 Republican candidates, so far, for Florida’s 19th Congressional District include a pair of former House members from other states: Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Chris Collins of western New York. Both left office under less-than-ideal circumstances.