Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Opposes Representative Cory Mills in Primary Election

2026-08-15 politics

Tallahassee, Saturday, 15 August 2026.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly withdrew support for Representative Cory Mills ahead of Tuesday’s primary, joining growing party opposition amid ongoing congressional ethics investigations into the incumbent.

A Public Fracture in Daytona Beach

On Friday, August 14, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly severed ties with incumbent Republican Representative Cory Mills during a press conference in Daytona Beach [1][7][14]. DeSantis explicitly stated, “I have not endorsed Cory Mills, and I do not support Cory Mills,” signaling a major intra-party rift just days before the state’s Republican primary election [1][7][14]. The primary is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with early voting concluding over the weekend [14][alert! ‘One source incorrectly states the primary occurred on August 11, 2026, but multiple major outlets confirm it is scheduled for August 18, 2026’].

A Public Fracture in Daytona Beach

DeSantis did not provide a specific reason for withholding his support, nor did he offer an endorsement to any of the three Republicans challenging Mills in Florida’s 7th Congressional District [1][14]. The challengers include former local television news anchor Ryan Elijah, Michael Johnson, and Sarah Ulrich [1][14]. Elijah, whose campaign has spent over $186,000, quickly capitalized on the governor’s remarks by sharing them on social media [13][15].

Mounting Scandals and Congressional Investigations

The 46-year-old incumbent is campaigning for a third term in Congress under a heavy cloud of controversy [6]. Mills is currently the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of dating violence, campaign finance violations, and the misuse of congressional resources [7][9][14]. Furthermore, in July 2026, reports emerged that the U.S. Department of Justice was reviewing his personal finances [14], while separate complaints filed with the ethics committee accuse him of illicitly profiting from federal defense contracts [15].

Mounting Scandals and Congressional Investigations

These federal inquiries are compounded by past personal legal troubles. In October 2025, a Florida judge issued a restraining order against Mills after a former girlfriend accused him of threatening to release sexually explicit videos of her [1][4]. Mills has strongly denied all allegations of domestic violence, campaign finance infractions, and financial misconduct [1][6][7].

Shifting Endorsements and Trump’s Omission

Governor DeSantis is not the only prominent Florida Republican to distance himself from Mills. Earlier in August 2026, Florida Republican Representatives Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos broke traditional congressional decorum by endorsing Ryan Elijah over their incumbent colleague, praising Elijah’s integrity [1][2][11][12]. Meanwhile, Representative Byron Donalds, a leading Republican candidate to succeed DeSantis as governor, pointedly declined to back Mills, stating that the race is now entirely “in the hands of the voters” [1].

Shifting Endorsements and Trump’s Omission

Mills has heavily relied on an endorsement from President Donald Trump, which he received in February 2026, to secure his path through the primary [5][10][15]. However, Trump recently amplified his endorsements for numerous Florida Republicans on social media but conspicuously omitted Mills, making him the only Republican congressional incumbent in the state left out of the President’s recent posts [1][15]. This omission has cast further doubt on the strength of Mills’s support ahead of Tuesday’s vote [1][5].

Deep-Seated Political Rivalries

The public clash between DeSantis and Mills is the culmination of a long-standing political rivalry. During the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Mills chose to endorse Donald Trump over DeSantis [1][7]. Tensions intensified in early 2025 when Trump appointed Marco Rubio as secretary of State, leaving a vacant U.S. Senate seat [1][7]. Before DeSantis appointed then-Attorney General Ashley Moody to the position, Mills publicly declared his intention to mount a primary challenge against anyone the governor chose to fill the vacancy [1][3][7].

Sources

Florida Politics Republican Primary