Florida voters choose in governor, Senate primaries, and more races to watch

Read the original at CBS News ↗
Cite

Linton, C., Yilek, C., & Hubbard, K. (2026, August 18). Florida voters choose in governor, Senate primaries, and more races to watch. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-governor-primary-byron-donalds-james-fishback-senate-alaska-wyoming/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

CBS News · collected 2026-08-18 · by Caroline Linton, Caitlin Yilek, Kaia Hubbard

Quick Summary

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan is facing several competitors in Tuesday's nonpartisan top-four primary. In Florida, voters will choose nominees for governor, Senate, and new congressional districts redrawn to favor Republicans. One of the key races is the Republican nomination for governor, where Rep. Byron Donalds has a significant lead with $90 million raised and President Trump's backing, but faces challenges from Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and far-right activist James Fishback. Former Republican Rep. David Jolly is considered the front-runner among six Democrats seeking their party's nomination.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-08-18, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

In primary elections held in Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming on Tuesday, several key races were decided that will determine the candidates who will run in the general election in November.

In Florida's governor's race, Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly won their respective primaries. Donalds, a 47-year-old politician endorsed by President Trump, would become Florida's first Black governor if elected in November. Jolly, a 53-year-old former Republican who joined the Democratic party last year, previously ran for Congress.

In the Senate race, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and state Rep. Angie Nixon scored a surprise victory over retired Air Force Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a prominent critic of Trump. Nixon's win sets up a potential upset in the general election against Republican incumbent Senator Ashley Moody.

In another key race, embattled Republican Rep. Cory Mills lost his primary to former TV news anchor and NFL sideline reporter Ryan Elijah. Mills was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the Justice Department, which may have contributed to his loss.

The results of these primaries will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress or Democrats take over.

Written for “Florida Primary Election Results” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 17 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Florida Primary Election Results
Politics · 18 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 1% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans strongly right further right than this 🔴 8% hedged 4 of 49 📰 publisher trust 68
“Both articles are reporting on the same primary elections happening on Tuesday (August 18th) in Florida, specifically mentioning the governor and Senate races.”
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 7% hedged 2 of 29 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on the primary elections held in Florida, covering the same day and context.”
Fox News
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 16 📰 publisher trust 67
“Article A discusses Florida primaries, while Article B discusses Alaska governor and lieutenant governor primaries”
Fox News
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 78 📰 publisher trust 67
“Article B discusses a broader set of election results, including one in Florida, but does not specifically mention DeSantis or Florida's governor race, which is highlighted in Article A”
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans right further right than this 🔴 8% hedged 7 of 92 📰 publisher trust 68
“Article A describes upcoming primaries, while Article B reports on the results of those primaries”
CBS News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 18 📰 publisher trust 66
“Article A discusses various primary elections in Florida, while Article B focuses on a specific Democratic primary win by Debbie Wasserman Schultz in District 20”
CBS News
⚖️ Centre further right than this 🔴 33% hedged 1 of 3 📰 publisher trust 66
“Article A mentions multiple primaries and races in Florida, including governor and Senate, while Article B focuses specifically on the Senate race and an upset primary win by Angie Nixon”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
70
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
1%
1 of 70 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
CBS News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
18
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-08-18 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBS News · 3039 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Caroline Linton
15 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Paxton announced Wednesday that his campaign is kicking off a two-week bus tour this weekend near Fort Worth that will wrap up the night before Election Day at the Alamo.
🔮 "She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well."
🔮 "I would say about 70% of them have acknowledged that they never reported it, and they are thanking me for being in the public eye and talking about it and giving voice because they didn't feel like they had a voice when they went through the same thing."
🔮 Andrews, a pediatrician, has said she does not support gender transition surgery for minors, but she had in the past voiced opposition to a bill that would ban transgender athletes in sports.
🔮 Storms are forecast to develop on Wednesday, with some showers and thunderstorms moving into the Dallas-Fort Worth area late that afternoon and into the early evening.
🔮 "You know we're about a year, maybe a year and a half up on China.
🔮 The television press pool system that covers President Trump will be suspended for now after from covering the White House.
2026-09-21 · assertive framing · Presidential TV pool suspended after Trump bans CNN
🔮 Every district and state matters, but CBS News also identifies nine key Senate and 42 House races that will likely decide the majority — all of which can change as the campaign rolls on.
2026-09-21 · assertive framing · 2026 midterm election races to watch
🔮 A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said Wednesday that "nothing is being demolished" at the performing arts center, although President Trump said later that it would be "ripped down," and photos showed him looking at a document that said "Kennedy Center Demolished." In court documents filed Wednesday by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member who sued last year to halt Mr. Trump's changes to the Kennedy Center, a witness said he saw a "forklift run into and hit the pillars" of the building.
🔮 Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who was first elected to the seat in 2010 to fill an opening when Joe Biden became vice president, is expected to sail to victory on Tuesday.
Also by Caroline Linton
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 15 articles by Caroline Linton →
Caitlin Yilek
15 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A former CIA official who was in his home in May pleaded guilty on Tuesday, admitting he invented fake classified programs to divert nearly $200 million in government money that he used to buy Florida mansions and gold.
🔮 I think we would have taken some pretty draconian measures against Israel," he said, adding that cutting off U.S. weapons to Israel "was very much on the table."
🔮 President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with the executives of AI companies at the White House on Tuesday, as lawmakers face increasing pressure to take action amid the rapid development of the technology that some warn poses an existential threat to humanity.
🔮 Xi Jinping is trying to understand how his opposition will ultimately embrace their worldview," he said.
🔮 - President Trump is welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to his first White House visit in more than a decade Thursday. - Following an elaborate White House arrival ceremony in the morning, featuring military bands and fighter jet flyovers, the two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks and a state dinner.
🔮 Every district and state matters, but CBS News also identifies nine key Senate and 42 House races that will likely decide the majority — all of which can change as the campaign rolls on.
2026-09-21 · assertive framing · 2026 midterm election races to watch
🔮 The Senate passed it in August, although a number of Democrats expressed concern that it would expand the president's tariff authority.
2026-09-18 · assertive framing · Trump signs Russia sanctions bill championed by Graham
🔮 It would encourage the state agencies that regulate utility companies to establish standards ensuring any "large-load customers" — including large-scale data centers — are billed for the cost of new electricity generation.
🔮 A sweeping Russia sanctions bill overcame opposition in the House on Wednesday, after many Democrats expressed concern that it would expand President Trump's tariff authorities.
🔮 House Democratic leadership did not whip the vote, but announced in a joint statement on Monday that they would vote "present" on the motion to table Green's impeachment resolution.
2026-09-15 · assertive framing · House kills Rep. Al Green's resolution to impeach Trump
Also by Caitlin Yilek
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 15 articles by Caitlin Yilek →
Kaia Hubbard
28 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 "In the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government," Johnson told CBS News' Robert Costa in an interview near Johnson's hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.
🔮 Pappas, who's represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019, is facing off against former GOP Sen. John Sununu in a race that could be key to determining which party controls the Senate.
🔮 Four decades later, he would admit to sexually abusing boys during his time as a coach.
🔮 But the Trump administration has pointed to the potential threat a nuclear-armed Iran could pose, and how it could represent a long-term threat to energy prices.
🔮 Mr. Trump said the task force will coordinate with the federal government to "ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence," the term which he directed the federal government to use instead of artificial intelligence.
2026-10-04 · assertive framing · Trump announces AI "Super Intelligence Force"
🔮 A Republican-led effort to approve a House-passed stock trading bill fell short in the Senate on Wednesday, with Democrats arguing the restrictions don't go far enough while pushing back against a voter ID provision that they argue would gut mail voting.
🔮 The platform, dubbed the Building A Healthier America Policy Agenda, takes aim at pesticides in food, backing legislation that would give people the right to sue pesticide manufacturers over harm caused by the products.
🔮 The Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping college sports bill to establish a federal framework for college athletics aimed at protecting student athletes — despite some pushback from Democrats who argue that it could do the opposite.
🔮 GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana on Sunday urged President Trump to focus on affordability as the midterm elections approach, stressing that Americans will be most concerned about the cost of living as they head to the ballot box in November.
🔮 Democratic Sen. of Pennsylvania said Saturday that it's "entirely possible" his party could win control of the Senate in the midterm elections, but he also left the door open on his own political future.
Also by Kaia Hubbard
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 28 articles by Kaia Hubbard →

Topics

Democrat Florida Republican Republicans Senate

Subjects

Florida GPE · 7× DeSantis PERSON · 6× Donalds PERSON · 6× Fishback PERSON · 6× Republican NORP · 5× Trump PERSON · 5× Democratic NORP · 3× Collins PERSON · 2× Republicans NORP · 2× Senate ORG · 2×

Narrative

The seat is currently vacant after former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned earlier this year moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to determine whether she should be sanctioned for allegations of theft and other misconduct.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-18
🔮 Floridians will also be voting in primaries in new congressional districts after boundaries to give Republicans an advantage in 24 of the state's 28 districts.

Claims (70 extracted, 1 hedged)

Three states are holding primaries on Tuesday, with Florida deciding its nominees for both governor and for Senate. asserted
Florida → hold → Senate
In Alaska, Sen. Dan Sullivan is facing several competitors — including — in the nonpartisan top-four primary. asserted
Sullivan → face → primary
Floridians will also be voting in primaries in new congressional districts after boundaries to give Republicans an advantage in 24 of the state's 28 districts. asserted
Floridians → vote → districts
Here are the major races to watch today: asserted
races → watch → ?
Florida governor Florida hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994 and DeSantis is prevented from running again due to term limits. asserted
DeSantis → elect → limits
In 2018, DeSantis won by less than a single point. asserted
DeSantis → win → point
By 2022, he won by 20 points — transforming Florida from being seen as a swing state to being solidly Republican. asserted
he → win → state
Rep. Byron Donalds, first elected in 2020 to represent Naples, Fort Myers and the surrounding area, is backed by President Trump and has long branded himself as a "Make America Great Again" member of the House. asserted
America → elect → House
He is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus and in 2023, challenged Kevin McCarthy in the race to become speaker, forcing 15 rounds of voting. asserted
He → challenge → voting
Donalds also put his name in the bid to replace McCarthy 10 months later when he was ousted from the speakership. asserted
he → put → speakership
In addition to Mr. Trump's backing, Donalds has amassed a significant war chest, having raised $90 million so far. asserted
Donalds → amass → million
He has also held a commanding lead in polls. asserted
He → hold → polls
While DeSantis has not endorsed in the race, Collins has branded himself as "DeSantis-appointed," but it's likely a race for second place given Donalds' lead. asserted
it → endorse → lead
Collins tried earlier this summer to get Fishback booted from the ballot, alleging Fishback had not met the state's seven-year minimum residency requirement. asserted
Fishback → try → requirement
The case was ultimately thrown out by a judge. asserted
case → throw → judge
Fishback, a 31-year-old Florida native, has gained momentum among young men in the "groyper" movement online and has support of Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson. asserted
Fishback → gain → Fuentes
Fishback has taunted Donalds with racist comments, calling him a "slave to donors," a "token Black" in Congress and accusing him of wanting to turn Florida into a "Section 8 ghetto." asserted
Fishback → taunt → ghetto
As the well-funded front-runner, Donalds generally does not acknowledge Fishback's comments. asserted
Donalds → fund → comments
Fishback has raised little money and does not stand much of a chance of succeeding on Tuesday, but he has pushed white nationalism into the governor's race and caused a splinter in the GOP. asserted
he → raise → GOP
Jolly represented the St. Petersburg area from 2014 to 2016, and is the second prominent Republican-turned-Democrat to run for governor in Florida in two cycles. asserted
Jolly → represent → cycles
In 2022, former Gov. Charlie Crist — who served as a Republican as governor before becoming a Democrat and defeating Jolly in the 2016 election — lost to DeSantis by nearly 20 points. asserted
who → serve → points
Crist is now running for St. Petersburg mayor. asserted
Crist → run → mayor
When Marco Rubio became secretary of state, DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody to his Senate seat, and she is now running to serve out the remainder of his term. asserted
she → become → term
Moody was elected the state's attorney general twice, defeating her Democratic challenger in 2022 by more than 20 points. asserted
Moody → elect → points
Moody faces three Republican challengers on Tuesday, although she is expected to win the nomination. asserted
she → face → nomination
Democrats Alex Vindman and Angie Nixon are duking it out for the Democratic nomination. asserted
Vindman → duke → nomination
Vindman, a retired lieutenant colonel, served on the National Security Council as an expert on Ukraine during Mr. Trump's first term. asserted
Vindman → serve → term
He became a key witness in Mr. Trump's first impeachment, testifying he heard Mr. Trump on a phone call pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden. asserted
Trump → become → Biden
Vindman was later forced out at the NSC. asserted
Vindman → force → NSC
His brother, Eugene, who also reported the phone call as being improper, was elected to Congress in 2024 from Virginia. asserted
who → report → Virginia
Nixon, a state representative from Jacksonville, led the Democratic protest against DeSantis' new congressional map. asserted
Nixon → lead → map
A labor organizer, she is touting her progressive support, including from unions and progressive Rep. Maxwell Frost, who represents the Orlando area. asserted
who → tout → area
Earlier this year, DeSantis pushed through a new congressional map to favor Republicans in four more districts after the creation of majority Black voting districts in some states. asserted
DeSantis → push → states
Rep. Darren Soto's district, which was protected by the Voting Rights Act, was redrawn to become more favorable to Republicans. asserted
which → protect → Republicans
of the Voting Rights Act that required theSoto is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and seven Republicans are running on Tuesday to take him on. asserted
Republicans → require → him
Republican Thomas Chalifoux Jr., Soto's challenger in 2024 who won more than 40% of the vote under the old lines, is running again, as is Marcus Carter, who ran in 2024 on the general election ballot as a NPA candidate. asserted
who → win → candidate
Republican Dan Green, who worked in the first Trump administration, is touting his ties to the president. asserted
who → work → president
He has been endorsed by seven members of Congress, although none from Florida. asserted
He → endorse → Florida
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's current district was also affected. asserted
district → affect → ?
She's now running in the neighboring 20th District, which is still a majority Black district and has been represented by a Black representative since the 1980s. asserted
which → run → 1980s
…and 30 more, not listed.
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support