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Florida Holds Aug. 18 Primaries That Will Decide November Matchups

The outcome will test President Trump’s influence in the GOP, hinge on large early and mail-vote returns, and shape contests created by a new Republican-drawn congressional map.

President Donald Trump hosts Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) at the White House on May 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Dan Sullivan, a candidate in Alaska's US Senate race who shares a name with the incumbent seeking reelection, talks with a reporter in Petersburg, Alaska, on July 3.
FILE - State Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Fla., speaks loudly on the House floor as the House votes on HB1D, a redistricting bill, during a special session of the Florida Legislature, April 29, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Overview

  • The primary, held Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, is underway with heavy early and mail voting already counted and hundreds of thousands of outstanding ballots that must arrive by 7 p.m. to be tallied.
  • Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds enters the day as the GOP frontrunner with President Trump’s endorsement and a large financial advantage that positions him to likely win the nomination.
  • Former Republican congressman David Jolly leads the Democratic field in fundraising and visibility and has put former Rep. Gwen Graham on the ticket as his running mate on the primary ballot.
  • Ashley Moody, appointed to Marco Rubio’s Senate seat in 2025, appears set to clinch the Republican Senate nomination while Democrats Angie Nixon and Alex Vindman compete for the chance to face her in November.
  • A May Republican-drawn congressional map that reduces Democratic districts has produced high-profile, often racially fraught primaries in South Florida and means closed-primary turnout patterns will strongly affect who advances and how competitive November will be.