Republican candidates in Florida fended off a number of prominent Democratic challenges in recent results, which also saw the state choose its first Black governor. Republican Byron Donalds was projected to win the governorship.
Republican Ashley Moody was projected to keep her Senate seat. She ran against Democrat Angie Nixon in a special election for the seat once held by Marco Rubio, who now serves as Secretary of State.
The Florida wins came alongside historic gains by Democrats, who won full control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate for the remaining years of President Donald Trump’s time in office.
Also read: Democrats Win US Senate Control in 2026 Midterm Elections
Angie Nixon’s primary upset and funding gap
Nixon unexpectedly won the Democratic primary to become her party’s nominee. Her campaign, however, could not match the fundraising of Moody’s campaign.
Byron Donalds’ path from Congress to the governor’s office
Donalds had served in Congress since 2021 before launching his campaign for governor. He was seeking to replace Ron DeSantis, a long-serving Republican governor who was term limited and could not run again.
A strong supporter of Trump, Donalds was at one point on the shortlist to be his running mate in 2024. He was born in Brooklyn, moved to Florida for university, and became a fixture in local politics before running for Congress.
Democrats hold their seats in redrawn districts
Democrats also scored some surprise wins in the state. Republicans in Florida had helped redraw voting maps as part of a national redistricting push aimed at improving each party’s chances of winning House seats.
Despite those changes, Democrats kept their seats in all three districts that were redrawn to help Republicans.
