Former television news anchor Ryan Elijah defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Cory Mills in the Republican primary for Florida’s 7th Congressional District on Aug. 18, ending Mills’ bid for another term in the House, as reported [1] by Trending Politics News.
Decision Desk HQ projected Elijah as the winner at approximately 7:53 p.m. Eastern Time, less than an hour after polls closed. Multiple news organizations subsequently reported Elijah’s victory.
Decision Desk HQ projects Ryan Elijah wins the Florida US House 7 Republican Primary#DecisionMade [2]: 7:53 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/TvJjVyAgSK [3]
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) August 18, 2026 [4]
At the time of the race call, with roughly 64% of the expected vote counted, Elijah had 18,726 votes, or 43.2%. Mills had 16,029 votes, or 37.0%.
Businesswoman Sarah Ulrich had 4,942 votes, or 11.4%, while Michael Don Johnson, a retired Department of Defense program manager and previous primary challenger, had 3,638 votes, or 8.4%.
The district includes all of Seminole County and portions of southern Volusia County. Mills was first elected to Congress in 2022 and won reelection in 2024 with 56.5% of the vote in the general election.
Mills had received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in February.
Trump described Mills at the time as a successful entrepreneur, U.S. Army combat veteran, and Bronze Star recipient with an understanding of the requirements involved in defending the country and supporting the military.
Mills prominently featured the endorsement in his campaign materials. Trump later did not include Mills in some public lists of endorsed candidates released before the primary. Recent reporting confirmed that Elijah ultimately defeated the Trump-backed incumbent.
Mills’ campaign also faced an ongoing investigation by the House Committee on Ethics. The committee established an investigative subcommittee in November 2025 to examine allegations involving Mills.
In a May 11, 2026 statement, the committee said the investigation had authorized more than 20 subpoenas, collected thousands of documents, and contacted dozens of witnesses.
The panel described the allegations as serious and complex and said it would conduct a full and thorough investigation.
The investigation includes allegations concerning Mills’ business interests and federal defense contracts, financial disclosures and campaign-finance matters.
The committee has also examined allegations involving personal relationships and a February 2025 incident in Washington, D.C., in which police responded to a report involving Mills and a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not charge Mills following that incident.
The House Ethics Committee emphasized in its May statement that the decision not to bring charges was not a finding of innocence or “no wrongdoing.”
The committee is also reviewing circumstances surrounding an October 2025 court-issued injunction involving Mills and another woman.
The order restricted certain forms of contact and prohibited Mills from going within 500 feet of the woman’s residence or workplace. Mills has denied wrongdoing involving the various allegations.
Elijah entered the congressional race in the spring after working as a co-anchor and host at WOFL Fox 35 in the Orlando area.
He received endorsements from Florida Republican Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, state Sen. Tom Wright, and other political figures.
Financial reports also gave Elijah an advantage during key periods of the primary campaign.
His campaign raised more money than Mills during several reporting periods and spent more during the final months before voters went to the polls.
Mills’ defeat ends his current tenure in Congress, which began in January 2023. He won the seat after defeating Democrat Stephanie Murphy in 2022.
Before entering Congress, Mills founded companies involved in security and munitions and participated in efforts connected to evacuations from Afghanistan.
Elijah will now represent the Republican Party in the November general election for the district.
The result adds Mills to the list of congressional incumbents who have lost their party primaries during the 2026 election cycle.
The outcome also places Elijah at the center of a closely watched Florida House race as Republicans prepare for the November general election.
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