FORT MYERS, Fla. —
Southwest Florida voters settled major state, congressional and local races Tuesday, with Republican Byron Donalds winning the Florida governor’s race, Ashley Moody retaining Florida’s U.S. Senate seat and Jim Schwartzel winning the 19th Congressional District.
Democrat Pia Dandiya also won the newly created 22nd Congressional District, while Cape Coral voters elected Rick Erickson as mayor.
MORE ELECTION RESULTS: Lee County | Collier County | Charlotte County | Hendry, DeSoto & Glade counties | Florida Governor | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Florida State Races | Florida Amendments
Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly with 50% of the vote to Jolly’s 48.7%. The victory makes Donalds the first Black governor of Florida.
Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in the special election for the U.S. Senate seat that became vacant when Marco Rubio became secretary of state. Moody had 50.8% of the vote to Nixon’s 48.1% when the AP called the race.
In Southwest Florida’s 19th Congressional District, Schwartzel won 58.65% of the vote to Democrat Victor Arias’ 40.20%, according to Gulf Coast News’ election coverage. Schwartzel will succeed Donalds in the seat.
Dandiya won the new 22nd Congressional District with 51.9% of the vote, defeating Republican Casey Askar, who received 48.1%. The district includes south Naples, Marco Island and part of Palm Beach County.
In Cape Coral, retired U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant Major Rick Erickson defeated Lisa Cohen-Adkinson with 51.88% of the vote to 48.12%.
The election also included races for Florida’s Cabinet, the Legislature, county offices, school boards, city councils and other local positions across Southwest Florida.
The results remain subject to the normal county canvassing and certification process.
U.S. House & Senate Balance of Power
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL BREAKDOWN | Democrats have clinched control of the U.S. Senate after winning several key battleground seats, including some that President Donald Trump won by double digits in 2024.
Florida Governor Election Results
Full breakdown of Florida’s governor results | Republican Byron Donalds has been elected to be Florida’s next governor, defeating Democrat David Jolly in a tight race to replace Ron DeSantis. Donalds secured 50% of the vote, while Jolly secured 48.7% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:09 p.m. With his victory, Donalds became the first Black governor of Florida.
Florida U.S. Senate Election Results
Full U.S. Senate results | Republican Ashley Moody will get to remain in the U.S. Senate for Florida and finish out U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s term after defeating Democratic candidate Angie Nixon. Moody secured 50.8% of the vote while Nixon got 48.1% when the Associated Press called the race at 8:34 p.m.
Florida U.S. House Election Results
Full Florida U.S. House results | A new congressional district has its first winner: Democrat Pia Dandiya defeated Republican Casey Askar in the race for Florida’s Congressional District 22. Dandiya secured 51.9% of the vote, while Askar got 48.1% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:11 p.m.
Republican Jim Schwartzel has secured Florida’s District 19 congressional seat after a crowded race to replace Byron Donalds, who ran in Florida’s gubernatorial race. When the race was called at 7:16 p.m., Schwartzel secured 58.65% of the vote, while Democrat Victor Arias amassed 40.20%, and Seth Haskin, a candidate with no party affiliation, got 1.14%.
Southwest Florida Mayoral Races
The city of Fort Myers elected its first Black mayor, Amber Ware, who defeated incumbent Kevin Anderson in the 2026 midterm elections. Read more on that race here.
A contentious Cape Coral mayoral race has come to a conclusion, with candidate Rick Erickson coming out on top, defeating his opponent, Lisa Cohen-Adkinson.
Erickson, a retired Special Forces Sergeant Major and Green Beret who served in the U.S. Army, garnered 51.88% of the vote, and Cohen-Adkinson received 48.12%. Read more on that race here.
>>See all Lee County election results.
Florida State Election Results
Full Florida state race results | Florida voters decided on attorney general, chief financial officer and commissioner of agriculture, along with seats in the Florida House and Senate.
Florida Amendments Election Results
All Florida Amendment results | Florida voters on Tuesday approved Amendment 3, which raises the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes and halves the annual cap on assessment increases for rentals, second homes, and commercial property.
With 98% of Florida’s preceincts reporting, the measure cleared the 60% threshold with 62% of the vote as of 9:45 p.m. The Amendment will raise the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 starting in 2027, and to $250,000 in 2028. Read more on the passing of Amendment 3 here.
Results by County, and Other Races
Get results for local races across Southwest Florida, including county offices, school boards and municipal contests.
Lee County results | Collier County results | Charlotte County results | Hendry, DeSoto & Glade county results
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