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Florida Primary Sets Donalds-Jolly Governor’s Race, Moody-Nixon Senate Contest
Florida voters selected major-party nominees for governor, a special U.S. Senate election and several newly redrawn congressional districts in the August 18 primary.
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2 SOURCES9 hours ago BY SPILL NEWSROOM · PUBLISHED Aug 27, 2026 · 7:05 PM

Florida voters selected major-party nominees for governor, a special U.S. Senate election and several newly redrawn congressional districts in the August 18 primary.
Florida’s August 18 primary set the state’s two biggest statewide matchups for November, with Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and former U.S. Rep. David Jolly winning their parties’ nominations for governor.
Donalds, who is seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis, defeated a Republican field that included Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. Jolly emerged from the Democratic primary. Donalds could become Florida’s first Black governor if elected in November.
In the special election for the remaining two years of former Sen. Marco Rubio’s term, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody won her party’s nomination and will face Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon. Nixon defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official, in the Democratic primary.
Several consequential South Florida congressional contests were also settled under Florida’s redrawn map. Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won the Democratic nomination in District 20 and will face Republican Brent Andersen. In District 25, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz will face Republican Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer. Oliver Gilbert III won the Democratic nomination in District 24, while former CBS Miami anchor Eliott Rodriguez won the Democratic primary in District 27 and will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.
The results shift the campaign into the general-election phase ahead of the November 3 vote, with the governor’s race, Senate contest and reshaped congressional map expected to remain central to Florida’s midterm politics.
SPILL INTELLIGENCE
THE WHOLE STORY
01WHAT HAPPENED
Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor and David Jolly won the Democratic nomination. Ashley Moody and Angie Nixon won their respective primaries for the special U.S. Senate election, while multiple South Florida congressional contests set November matchups.
02HOW COVERAGE DIFFERS
There is no meaningful factual divide in the coverage. The Associated Press emphasizes statewide political implications, including Nixon’s upset over Alex Vindman and Donalds’ potential to become Florida’s first Black governor. CBS News Miami provides a more detailed rundown of South Florida congressional results and November pairings.
03COMMON GROUND
Both reports agree that the August 18 primary finalized the major-party nominees for governor and the special U.S. Senate election, and that redistricting shaped several congressional races.
04THE DIVIDE
The substantive political divide is now electoral rather than a disagreement in reporting: Donalds will face Jolly for governor, and Moody will face Nixon for Senate. The reports do not present conflicting accounts of the results.