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As Florida voters prepare for Tuesday’s primary election, polls show Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is the heavy favorite in the GOP race for governor and State Rep. Angie Nixon and Alex Vindman are seeking to advance past the Democratic primary and prepare for a November matchup for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat.
As Florida voters prepare for Tuesday’s primary election, polls show Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is the heavy favorite in the GOP race for governor.
Donalds has crisscrossed the state in the lead-up to the primary, holding rally after rally as he seeks the Republican nomination. Most polls show him with a double-digit lead in the GOP field.
That support could be credited to President Trump’s endorsement, which Donalds has received in the race.
During a speech Thursday in North Florida, Donalds urged Republicans to unite behind him after the primary.
“We are one movement and we have responsibility as Floridians to do what we did for Rick Scott. To do what we did for Ron DeSantis. And that is to tell the Florida Democrats that they are not going to get a foothold of power in the great state of Florida,” Donalds said.
One notable name missing from Donalds’ list of endorsements is Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has stayed out of the race entirely, despite polling that shows his backing carries weight in Florida.
Aside from Donalds there are 10 other Republican candidates in this gubernatorial race.
Among those candidates are current Florida lieutenant governor Jay Collins, former speaker of the Florida house of representatives Paul Renner, business investor James Fishback, business owner and attorney Rachel Rodriguez and farmer and business owner James Shaw.
David Jolly, one of six Democratic candidates competing for a spot on the November ballot in Florida’s governor’s race, is spending the final days of the campaign in Tampa, an area he represented during his time in Congress.
Jolly is leading Democratic polls in the race. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican before becoming an independent for several years.
Jolly is now running on the Democratic ticket. He has said the switch better aligns with his three main values: an economy that works for everyone, a government that mainly stays out of people’s lives and celebrating everyone’s dignity.
If elected governor, Jolly said his top priorities would be housing, health care and education.
Jolly plans to cast his vote at his polling location in Pinellas County before traveling to Miami Lakes to join his running mate, Gwen Graham.
The other five Democratic candidates include Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a criminal justice advocate from Pembroke Pines, Thomas Eloy Fernandez, a healthcare professional and retired Air Force veteran, Dayna Marie Foster, a teacher from South Florida, Dotie Joseph, State Representative from North Miami who’s been in office since 2018 and Stephann Norman, a community activist from Tampa area.
State Rep. Angie Nixon and Alex Vindman are seeking to advance past the Democratic primary and prepare for a November matchup for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat. The winner is expected to take on incumbent Ashley Moody, who is the favorite in the Republican primary.
Both are making a final push for votes ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Nixon was scheduled to hold a rally at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Miami on Monday before returning to Jacksonville, her hometown, late in the evening.
Nixon and her husband, Jarrett Morene, are expected to cast their votes at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Redemption Church in Jacksonville.
Her campaign is then expected to gather Tuesday night at The Social on the River, a special events venue in Jacksonville.
Nixon announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate in January. Since then, she has traveled across Florida to introduce herself to voters, hold town halls, speak with constituents and knock on doors.
Her campaign has centered on a “People-Powered” message aimed at working families. Nixon has said Florida needs to work for everyone, not just the “rich and well-connected.”
Vindman also made a final campaign push in the Miami area and Broward County, emphasizing what he described as a campaign centered on integrity and character.
Vindman, who now calls Broward County home, has not served as an elected official. He said he is making his case to voters by pointing to his record of reporting concerns about President Donald Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Vindman announced his candidacy earlier this year in a video, saying he “stood up when someone had to say that no one is above the law.” He also called Trump a “wannabe tyrant.”
Many Floridians may know Vindman as the Army officer and White House national security official who testified before Congress during Trump’s first impeachment proceedings in 2019. Vindman listened to Trump’s call with Zelenskyy, reported concerns about it and later testified before Congress.
He was later fired by Trump.
“This is a strength, that I’ve reported corruption at the presidential level,” Vindman said. “It cost me my career. But it was the right thing to do. They know that they have somebody in their corner that, damn the consequences, will do the right thing regardless of personal costs. That’s what folks are looking for, someone that’s independent minded.”
In a one-on-one interview, Vindman said he has not taken donations from corporate political action committees.
He also said he is optimistic Florida residents are ready for change and are done with single-party rule.
Political Connections Florida August 17 2026 – Spectrum Bay News 9
