Florida Primaries Nominate Donalds and Jolly for Governor, Nixon Secures Senate Spot

Florida voters selected Byron Donalds and David Jolly as the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor, while Angie Nixon secured the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat.

The projections came from US media outlets after Tuesday’s primaries in Florida and Alaska, two of the latest states to hold contests ahead of the November midterms.

Donalds, a sitting member of Congress, said he had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and told a cheering crowd that he would beat Jolly in November.

Jolly, a former Republican congressman who left the party after criticizing Trump, told supporters that the victory marked a return of resilience and hope.

Democrats have not held the Florida governor’s mansion since 1999, and the term of incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis is set to expire at the end of this year.

In the Senate race, Nixon, a state lawmaker who describes herself as a democratic socialist, defeated Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official who became a key witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial.

Nixon said the result showed what organized people can accomplish.

She will face Republican Ashley Moody in November.

Moody was appointed to the Senate after Marco Rubio became Secretary of State and is seeking her first full term; she won the Republican primary comfortably.

The Florida ballot also produced a shift in the 7th Congressional District.

Incumbent Republican Cory Mills, who faced an House Ethics Committee investigation and allegations of domestic abuse, lost the Republican primary to Ryan Elijah, a former television reporter.

Mills said he had received Trump’s backing earlier in the year but was not included in the president’s most recent endorsement list.

Elijah will now face Democratic nominee Bale Dalton, a former Navy captain and NASA official, in the general election.

Alaska’s primary showed a different dynamic.

Incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan defeated a challenger named Daniel J Sullivan Jr., whose name appeared on the ballot as a near‑identical copy.

Despite concerns that voters might be confused, Sullivan and Democratic candidate Mary Peltola finished as the top two vote‑getters and will advance to the November contest.

The third and fourth places are still being determined.

These outcomes shape the upcoming midterm elections in two ways.

First, the Florida governor’s race will test whether Trump’s endorsement can translate into a victory in a state where Democrats have not held the executive office for over two decades.

Second, Nixon’s win adds to a string of successes for left‑wing Democratic candidates in primaries across the country, indicating that progressive energy remains potent even in traditionally moderate districts.

The Senate contest between Nixon and Moody will therefore serve as a barometer of whether that momentum can flip a seat in a swing state.

Overall, the primaries in Florida and Alaska illustrate how party loyalties, incumbent advantages, and candidate‑specific controversies are influencing the slate of nominees who will appear on the November ballot.

The results also underscore the broader stakes of the midterms: control of Congress, which will affect the legislative environment for the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidency.