Embattled Incumbent Cory Mills Ousted In Florida Primary

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Rep. Cory Mills, who has been ensnared in a swirl of controversies, became the latest incumbent member of Congress to lose at the ballot this year. Mills joins 10 other House members and two senators who have lost primary battles in 2026.

Ryan Elijah, a former local television news reporter, defeated Mills in the four-way GOP primary for Florida’s 7th district. Elijah hammered Mills over his investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the restraining order that a judge placed on Mills last fall after a former girlfriend said that the two-term member had threatened to release sexually explicit videos of her.

Elijah will square off against Democrat Bale Dalton, a veteran and former chief of staff for NASA, as well as Libertarian Christopher Dennison in the November general election. Dalton won his primary, where he defeated two other Democrats including former Rep. Alan Grayson.

Elijah’s run against Mills picked up momentum in the weeks leading up to the primary. He was backed by well-known local sheriffs in the district and was recently endorsed by Florida Republican Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos.

Part of Elijah’s campaign message was that GOP voters had lost trust in Mills and that Democrats would be able to flip the seat due to a string of incidents involving him. The scandals surrounding Mills appeared to sap his fundraising ability in the months leading up to the Tuesday election.

“We have a member of Congress who is on the verge of getting kicked out, and that’s what you need to understand,” Elijah told Republicans at a primary debate earlier this month. “We’re all conservatives here. But if you look the other way, we are going to get a huge surprise in November.”

Mills leaned into his endorsement from Trump as a reason that voters should not abandon him. Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” last February but Mills was not included on a list of recent repeat endorsements for Florida that Trump put out on social media earlier this month.

Mills' defeat could be a warning sign for other members of Congress now under scrutiny. The House Ethics panel derailed GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards’ reelection campaign earlier this month after recommending censure for inappropriate behavior with female staffers. Rep. Max Miller, an Ohio Republican, is officially on the ballot this fall after pressure campaigns failed to push him out amid domestic abuse allegations that he denies.

Last October Mills had a judge issue a restraining order against him after his former girlfriend said he had threatened to circulate sexually explicit videos of her. Earlier this year he was investigated by police in DC over allegations of assault against another former girlfriend that were subsequently withdrawn. The House ethics probe is looking into multiple allegations, including involvement in federal contracts while serving in Congress.

Several media outlets shortly ahead of the election reported that he was also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.