Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, delivering a victory to the party's progressive wing and setting up a November matchup against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, as reported by The New York Post.

With most of the expected vote reported, Nixon held a 56% to 44% advantage over Vindman in the Aug. 18, 2026, special Democratic primary.

Nixon, 42, has represented parts of her hometown of Jacksonville in the Florida House of Representatives since 2020.

She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and campaigned on a platform that includes “Medicare for all,” abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending U.S. aid to Israel.

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Her victory came despite Vindman's substantial financial advantage and national name recognition. Vindman raised more than $16 million for his campaign, while Nixon raised approximately $975,000, according to Florida Politics.

Vindman became nationally known during President Donald Trump's first impeachment proceedings.

At the time, he served as a key witness in the House inquiry involving Trump's request that then-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate the Biden family's business dealings in connection with the release of $400 million in U.S. military aid.

Vindman later built his Senate campaign around his opposition to Trump.

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In his campaign launch video, he referenced his earlier testimony and said, “The last time you saw me was … swearing an oath to tell the truth about a president who broke his.”

Trump was ultimately acquitted by the Senate following his first impeachment.

He was impeached again in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and was again acquitted by the Senate before returning to the White House for a second term.

After the Florida primary was called for Nixon, Trump responded to Vindman's defeat on Truth Social.

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“SleazeBag Vindman loses tonight to a Radical Left Lunatic. How cool is that???” the president wrote.

Nixon's campaign received support from several prominent progressive Democrats.

Her endorsements included Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, all members of the House's progressive wing.

She also received backing from former Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and children's YouTube personality Ms. Rachel, according to the campaign's reported endorsements.

Nixon's victory means she will face Moody in November. The Republican senator, a former Florida attorney general, faced limited opposition in the GOP primary and received nearly 80% of the vote.

The special election will determine who serves the remainder of the six-year Senate term that Marco Rubio won in 2022 before becoming Secretary of State.

The November contest is expected to present Nixon with a considerably different political environment from the Democratic primary.

A University of North Florida poll conducted last month showed Moody leading Nixon by eight percentage points.

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Nixon will therefore enter the general election as the underdog, according to the polling cited in the race.

The primary result nevertheless represents a notable setback for Vindman, whose campaign benefited from both national recognition and a substantial fundraising operation.

His military background and role during Trump's first impeachment had made him one of the better-known candidates in the Democratic field.

Nixon, meanwhile, ran a campaign centered on issues favored by the Democratic Party's progressive and socialist factions.

Her support for Medicare for all, eliminating ICE, and ending U.S. assistance to Israel placed her firmly on the left side of the Democratic primary.

The result also gives Florida Democrats a nominee whose political profile differs sharply from that of Vindman.

Rather than relying primarily on his national profile from Trump's impeachment, Nixon will enter the general election as an established state lawmaker with support from progressive organizations and Democratic figures.

Moody will now prepare for a general election campaign against Nixon as Republicans defend the Senate seat for the remainder of Rubio's term.

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For Democrats, Nixon's primary victory demonstrated the strength of the party's progressive coalition in a race where the better-funded and more nationally recognized candidate ultimately fell short.

For Republicans, the November contest presents a substantially different test, with Nixon facing a statewide Republican incumbent and polling that currently favors Moody.

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