Rep. Cory Mills lost his Florida GOP primary on Tuesday, falling to former TV news anchor Ryan Elijah in a race that tested voters’ tolerance for serious misconduct allegations facing the two-term incumbent. Elijah won with roughly 47% of the vote to Mills’s 34.5% in the four-way Republican primary for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, defeating Mills by approximately 12 percentage points.
Mills faced a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, domestic abuse, and campaign finance violations. The committee said it had authorized more than 20 subpoenas, collected thousands of documents, and contacted dozens of witnesses to review the allegations, which Mills has denied. In July, the Justice Department also began investigating Mills for campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct, according to multiple sources.
The primary result reflected a collapse of GOP support for Mills despite his Trump endorsement. President Donald Trump endorsed Mills in February but left him off his endorsement list posted Monday night, even as he praised other Florida House Republicans seeking reelection. Gov. Ron DeSantis also declined to back Mills, telling reporters Friday, “I have not endorsed Cory Mills, and I do not support Cory Mills.” Two of Mills’s own colleagues—Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos—endorsed Elijah instead, citing the need for “leaders in Congress who serve with integrity.”
Mills’s decision to remain in the race set him apart from other House members facing ethics investigations. When Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Tony Gonzales of Texas faced similar allegations of sexual misconduct in April 2026, both resigned rather than face expulsion votes. A third colleague, Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, announced he was dropping his reelection bid after the Ethics Committee detailed “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward female staffers. Mills, by contrast, fought on through the primary despite months of negative headlines.
According to the 19th News, Mills becomes the fourth House member this year to lose his seat after being accused of misconduct against women. Elijah, a former Fox television news anchor, will face Democrat Bale Dalton, a veteran and former chief of staff for NASA, in the November general election. Democrats had hoped Mills would win the primary, believing the scandal-laden Republican could make the reliably Republican district vulnerable to an upset. The National Republican Congressional Committee, however, projected confidence about holding the seat in the general election, with spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole stating, “Florida’s 7th Congressional District is ruby red, and it will stay that way in November.”
Mills’s controversies extended beyond the ethics probe. In February 2025, D.C. police responded to a report that he had assaulted a woman; body camera footage obtained by The Washington Post showed her account changed after she appeared to speak with Mills. In October 2025, a Florida judge granted an order of protection against Mills in favor of an ex-girlfriend who accused him of threatening to release sexually explicit videos of her—allegations Mills has denied. He has also faced scrutiny over his military service, with five people, including two men Mills was credited with saving, unable to recall him being present during the 2003 incidents for which he was awarded a Bronze Star.
Sources
- The Washington Post — Mills’s primary loss to Elijah, allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse, campaign finance violations, Trump’s endorsement timeline, DeSantis’s statement, endorsements from Luna and Haridopolos, comparison to Swalwell and Gonzales resignations, details of assault allegation and restraining order, military service questions
- Politico — Elijah’s victory as former TV reporter, four-way primary, restraining order, Dalton’s Democratic victory and background, general election prospects
- NPR — Elijah’s 12-point margin of victory, Mills as two-term congressman
- Orlando Sentinel — Vote totals: Elijah 47%, Mills 34.5%
- ABC News — DOJ investigation into Mills for campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct (July 2026)
- The Hill — Trump’s endorsement in February and omission from August endorsement list
- 19th News — Mills as fourth House member this year to lose after misconduct allegations
- House Ethics Committee — Investigation authorization, 20+ subpoenas, thousands of documents, dozens of witnesses contacted (May 2026)
