Who won and lost in Florida primaries: Key takeaways

What the report says

Florida’s primary elections, held Tuesday under a newly redrawn congressional map, produced a mix of expected wins and notable upsets that could shape the state’s role in November’s U.S. midterm elections. Al Jazeera reported that the map is widely seen as favoring Republicans, a factor that may further narrow Democrats’ prospects in Florida’s 28 House seats.

Among the biggest Democratic surprises, state lawmaker Angie Nixon defeated former national security official Alexander Vindman in a Senate primary despite raising far less money. Nixon, a progressive backed by figures including Rep. Ilhan Omar, will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in a special election for the final two years of Marco Rubio’s former Senate term. Other Democratic contests went more in line with the party establishment: Rep. Jared Moskowitz beat union organiser Oliver Larkin in a Republican-leaning district, and longtime Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won a crowded primary in a plurality-Black district.

On the Republican side, Rep. Byron Donalds won the gubernatorial nomination with Donald Trump’s support and will face Democrat David Jolly in November. A Donalds victory would make him Florida’s first Black governor. The primaries also saw Rep. Cory Mills lose his bid for a third term to former television anchor Ryan Elijah after a campaign clouded by ethics scrutiny and misconduct allegations, according to the report.

Overall, the results point to both the continued influence of Trump in Republican contests and a broader shift in Florida politics to the right, while also showing that progressive Democrats can still score wins in selected races.