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Embattled Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills loses his fight to keep his House seat
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Republican incumbent Rep. Cory Mills lost the Florida 7th congressional district primary to Ryan Elijah, a former local TV news anchor, by about 12 percentage points, according to The Associated Press.
- Mills has faced allegations of domestic abuse and campaign finance violations, prompting an investigation by the House Ethics Committee; he denies wrongdoing and did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
- Despite a February endorsement from former President Trump, Mills was notably excluded from Trump's later social media endorsements, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis explicitly stated he does not support Mills.
- The 7th district, traditionally a Republican stronghold, has become more competitive due to Mills' scandals, with the Cook Political Report shifting it from "solid Republican" to "likely Republican," and Democrats investing resources to flip the seat.
- Ryan Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton, a Navy veteran and former NASA chief of staff, in the general election.
