Ryan Elijah beats Cory Mills, wins Republican nomination for US House, AP projects

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —

Ryan Elijah is projected to win the Republican Party nomination in the race for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, overcoming embattled incumbent Cory Mills’ re-election bid, the Associated Press has called.

Elijah, a former TV news anchor, is expected to face Democrat Bale Dalton in November, according to the AP.

District 7 covers all of Seminole County and parts of southern Volusia County.

>> See all results at the bottom of this story.

Controversies

Mills’ race ran into several hiccups leading up to Tuesday’s election, the latest being his absence from President Donald Trump’s endorsement list.

There’s also the matter of a restraining order against Mills for allegedly stalking and threatening Lindsey Langston, who was one of his girlfriends and also a Republican state committee woman. Langston reportedly broke up with Mills after he was charged by Washington, D.C., police with assaulting another girlfriend. That charge was later dropped.

Mills is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged misuse of the power of his office and allegations of sexual misconduct.

It was further reported several weeks ago by NBC News that Mills was the subject of a finance-related investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. He has denied the investigation’s existence outright.

Mills made it to the primary ballot despite a lawsuit filed by one of his Republican opponents, Michael Johnson, who claimed Mills violated state law while signing qualifying documents. A judge dismissed the complaint “with prejudice,” which legally means the case is permanently closed.

WESH 2 News District 7 debates

WESH 2 News anchor Stewart Moore and reporter Greg Fox moderated a debate among the Republican and Democratic candidates for Florida’s 7th Congressional district, though Mills did not respond to our invitation.

The candidates were asked about views on the budget, such as social security and Medicare for seniors. They discussed affordability including energy pricing and housing.

November general election

The 2026 Florida elections will be held in Florida on Nov. 3, 2026, alongside the nationwide midterm elections.

Here are important dates to keep in mind ahead of the elections, according to the Florida Division of Elections:

Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: Sept. 19, 2026Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: Sept. 24 2026 – Oct. 1, 2026Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5, 2026Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Oct. 22, 2026Early voting period (mandatory period): Oct. 24 – 31, 2026
Election Day: Nov. 3, 2026

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

>> See all results below:

Ryan Elijah beats Cory Mills, wins Republican nomination for US House, AP projects

Tags: