Florida voters head to the polls Tuesday in primary elections that will set the field for one of the year's marquee governor's races, with President Trump's endorsed candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds, the frontrunner in a crowded Republican contest to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. Polls are scheduled to close at 7 p.m. local time, with results expected Tuesday night.
At least 11 Republicans qualified for the governor's primary, according to a CBS Miami guide to the race, but the contest has largely narrowed to a proxy fight between Trump and DeSantis. Donalds has the backing of Trump and Sen. Rick Scott; Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, running with Kevin Guthrie, has support from the Florida Police Benevolent Association and local Republican officials aligned with DeSantis. Former House Speaker Paul Renner and investment firm founder James Fishback are also on the ballot. On the Democratic side, former Republican Congressman David Jolly, running with Gwen Graham, is the frontrunner among six candidates seeking the nomination.
New maps, new stakes
Tuesday's primary is the first held under Florida's newly approved congressional boundaries, which have reshaped several South Florida districts and put some longtime incumbents in less familiar territory, according to election trackers. The governor's race carries added weight because Republicans have won every Florida gubernatorial election since 1998, making the winner of Tuesday's GOP primary the heavy favorite heading into November.
Florida is also holding a U.S. Senate special election primary to fill the remainder of Marco Rubio's term. Appointed incumbent Ashley Moody faces three Republican primary challengers — Chris Gleason, Neelam Taneja Perry and Ernest Rivera — while the Democratic primary pits state Rep. Angie Nixon against retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified in President Trump's first impeachment inquiry.
Beyond the top of the ticket, Tuesday's ballot includes numerous state legislative and local primaries affected by the new district lines, with several sitting lawmakers thrust into unfamiliar or more competitive territory. Turnout in primary-only elections in Florida typically trails general-election turnout by a wide margin, and both parties have spent the closing days of the race urging supporters to the polls rather than assuming the outcome.
The winners of Tuesday's primaries advance to the November 3 general election, where the governor's race and the Senate seat will both be on the ballot in a state that has become a proving ground for the current alignment of the Republican Party.
