GOP Rep. Cory Mills loses his Florida primary amid investigations

BREAKING NEWSUpdated 8 minutes ago2026 Election2026 ElectionGOP Rep. Cory Mills loses his Florida primary amid investigationsMills lost to Republican Ryan Elijah, NBC News projects, while facing House Ethics Committee and Department of Justice investigations. Mills has denied wrongdoing.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Rep. Cory Mills during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on April 29.Daniel Heuer / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd to GoogleAug. 18, 2026, 8:06 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 18, 2026, 8:08 PM EDTBy Ben KamisarRepublican Rep. Cory Mills has lost his primary in Florida, NBC News projects, amid a swirl of investigations and negative publicity and despite running with the backing of President Donald Trump.Former television journalist Ryan Elijah captured the Republican nomination over Mills in Florida’s 7th District, a seat Trump carried by 12 points in 2024. Democrats have hoped to make it competitive this fall, especially if Mills was on the ballot.Unlike other incumbents who have fallen short this year for being on the wrong side of intraparty divides, Mills’ defeat comes as he’s been dogged by multiple investigations, including a House Ethics Committee probe into sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations, as well as a Justice Department investigation into his finances. Mills has denied wrongdoing.Despite his struggles, Mills still got Trump’s endorsement. The loss makes him the latest member of a relatively rare set of Republican candidates who lost a GOP primary even with the president’s blessing. Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles also lost his primary earlier this month with Trump’s support. Mills is the 11th House member to lose a primary so far this year, an unusually high number. Seven Democrats and four Republicans have lost their bids for renomination.Elijah ran with support from a slew of prominent Florida Republicans who have either directly or indirectly referenced Mills’ woes. Republican R...