Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he does not support Rep. Cory Mills in Florida’s 7th Congressional District Republican primary, joining a growing list of GOP officials who have rejected the embattled incumbent’s reelection bid ahead of the August 18 primary.
When asked about Mills during a visit to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, DeSantis delivered a direct statement: “I have not endorsed Cory Mills and I do not support Cory Mills.”
The governor did not explain his reasoning or endorse any of the three Republicans challenging Mills—Ryan Elijah, Sarah Ulrich, and Michael Johnson—in the race.
Mills is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct, dating violence, and campaign finance violations, according to NBC News. The committee authorized more than 20 subpoenas in May 2026 as part of its probe into whether Mills violated the House code of conduct.
Beyond the ethics investigation, Mills also faces a Department of Justice criminal investigation, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The reported investigation centers on Mills’ finances and is being run out of the Middle District of Florida.
DeSantis’s statement comes days after President Donald Trump, who originally endorsed Mills in February, omitted him from a recent round of endorsements for Florida Republicans posted on social media. Trump amplified endorsements for numerous Florida Republicans but notably failed to mention Mills, the only incumbent member of Congress running in the state that the president did not back.
The relationship between DeSantis and Mills has been strained for some time. Mills backed Trump over DeSantis during the governor’s 2024 presidential campaign, and tensions escalated when DeSantis was selecting someone to fill Florida’s U.S. Senate seat in early 2025. Mills told reporters at that time that he intended to mount a primary challenge against whoever DeSantis appointed to the vacant seat. The governor ultimately selected Ashley Moody.
Other prominent Republicans have also distanced themselves from Mills. Two incumbent Florida GOP House members—Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos—endorsed Elijah over Mills earlier this month, an unusual move in a primary race. Additionally, Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP frontrunner to succeed DeSantis as governor, sidestepped questions about the race when asked whether he wanted Mills to win.
Mills has banked on Trump’s endorsement to carry him through the primary despite the mounting investigations. The Republican has denied wrongdoing in all cases, including allegations stemming from a restraining order issued against him in October 2025 after his former girlfriend accused him of threatening to release sexually explicit videos of her.
Sources
- Politico — DeSantis’s statement, context on Mills’s investigations and relationship with DeSantis, Trump’s endorsement decision
- NBC News — Mills’s House Ethics Committee investigation and DOJ criminal investigation
- The Hill — DeSantis’s non-endorsement statement
- Fox 35 Orlando — Details on the three challengers in the primary
- Ballotpedia — Primary date of August 18, 2026
- House Ethics Committee — Investigation status and scope
