With 93 percent of precincts reporting, Florida District 7 Rep. Cory Mills has officially been primaried. Former Fox 35 anchor and Republican candidate Ryan Elijah has won the nomination with 47 percent of the vote to Mills' 31 percent.
Decision Desk HQ projects Ryan Elijah wins the Florida US House 7 Republican Primary#DecisionMade: 7:53 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/TvJjVyAgSK
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) August 18, 2026
Despite having the endorsement from President Trump, Mills' loss was almost an inevitability. For the past nine months, Mills has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over alleged shady campaign finances, sexual misconduct, and domestic violence.
As RedState reported, in July, it was reported that Mills was also under investigation by the Department of Justice, an allegation which Mills denied. Nevertheless, the tranche of bad PR took its toll, particularly when Mills was confronted with a competent and knowledgeable Republican contender. Another indication that Mills' days were numbered was after he cast the deciding vote against removing Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) from committee assignments after she made comments justifying the murder of TPUSA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk.
Ryan Elijah is a 15-year news veteran, former Fox 35 anchor, and host of "Good Day Orlando" and "Orlando Matters." Elijah is a 20-year Florida resident and was swept into the seat on a wave of change and goodwill. As a known commodity and face in the community, Elijah's name recognition and grasp of the issues affecting Florida and the United States helped to make him the better choice for District 7. Apparently, the Republican voters of District 7 thought so as well.
Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton in November.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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