Florida, Wyoming, and Alaska held primary elections on August 18, 2026, delivering a series of upset victories and competitive races that reshaped the landscape of several key Senate and gubernatorial matchups heading into November.
In Florida’s Democratic Senate primary, state Rep. Angie Nixon, a progressive who recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated former National Security Council aide Alex Vindman in an upset victory, according to USA Today and CNN. Nixon’s win marked a significant victory for the insurgent left in the state, though moderate Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz fended off their own progressive challengers.
The Florida Republican primary also saw an upset when scandal-plagued GOP Rep. Cory Mills lost his re-election bid to former TV news anchor Ryan Elijah, according to USA Today. Meanwhile, Rep. Byron Donalds won the Florida Republican gubernatorial nomination thanks to President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and will face Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman turned Trump critic, in November.
In Wyoming, state legislator Eric Barlow easily defeated Trump’s pick, Megan Degenfelder, the state superintendent of public instruction, in the GOP governor primary, according to USA Today and The New York Times. Barlow, a self-described fourth-generation rancher, positioned himself as a stoic problem-solver focused on protecting public lands, in contrast to Degenfelder, who leaned into culture war issues such as supporting a ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. The race marked another loss for Trump in choosing GOP primary winners, which earlier this year catapulted congressional incumbents out of office in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas.
In Wyoming’s Senate race, Trump-backed Rep. Harriet Hageman won the GOP nomination, defeating four challengers including Samuel Mead, according to multiple sources including Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.
Alaska’s nonpartisan primary system produced a different dynamic, with incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola advancing to November’s general election, according to USA Today and the Associated Press. Under Alaska’s top-four primary system approved by voters in 2020, Peltola, the former U.S. representative who won a 2022 special election to replace longtime Republican Don Young, will face Sullivan in a ranked-choice general election. Political scientists told USA Today that Peltola has successfully distanced herself from the national Democratic Party on issues such as energy development, though Sullivan’s campaign dismissed her record, saying she never got a single bill signed into law.
Alaska’s Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III and his uncle, Democratic former Minority Leader Tom Begich, both advanced to the general election under the nonpartisan primary system—Begich III in the House race and Tom Begich in the governor’s race. The Begich family has deep roots in Alaska politics: Tom Begich’s brother is former Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, and their father was former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Begich Sr.
The August 18 primaries reflected a broader pattern in the 2026 cycle: Trump’s endorsement has not guaranteed victory in competitive Republican primaries. In Minnesota, former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a staunch Trump ally, fell short in his gubernatorial bid, according to USA Today. The results underscore deepening fractures within the Republican Party heading into the general election season.
Sources
- USA Today — primary election results across Florida, Wyoming, and Alaska; Nixon’s upset victory; Mills’ loss; Barlow’s defeat of Degenfelder; Trump’s record of primary endorsement losses
- The New York Times — Barlow’s victory over Trump-backed Degenfelder in Wyoming governor race
- The Guardian — Nixon’s upset victory and Peltola’s Senate race advancement
- CNN — Nixon’s Senate primary victory projection
- Washington Post — Wyoming governor primary and Alaska Senate race results
- Ballotpedia — Harriet Hageman’s Senate primary victory; Barlow’s gubernatorial win; detailed primary results across all three states
- NBC News — primary projections for Alaska and Wyoming races
- Associated Press — Alaska primary results and advancing candidates
- CBS News — Peltola’s advancement in Alaska Senate race
- Al Jazeera — Nixon’s upset victory as a major Democratic upset
- Wikipedia — Hageman’s Senate primary victory and vote totals
