Full Breakdown
Florida’s 2026 Primary: Candidates, Turnout and the Road to the General Election
8/18/2026, 7:55:04 AM
Candidates and the Stakes
Eleven Republicans are vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, among them Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former investment-firm CEO James Fishback and former state House Speaker Paul Renner. Donalds enjoys former President Donald Trump’s endorsement and a sizable fundraising lead, while Collins—an Army Special Forces veteran tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis as lieutenant governor in August 2025—frames his campaign as a defense of the “DeSantis legacy.” DeSantis has not publicly endorsed any candidate.
On the Democratic side, six candidates have entered the governor’s race, including former Republican Rep. David Jolly, state Rep. Dotie Joseph, and math teacher Dayna Marie Foster, who is backed by the state’s Democratic Progressive Caucus.
In the U.S. Senate contest, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody—appointed by DeSantis in January 2025 to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Marco Rubio—faces little intra-party opposition. Her Democratic challenger will be either state Rep. Angie Nixon or retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council staffer.
Other congressional races are shaped by the 2026 redistricting map, which Republicans designed to favor their candidates. Incumbents such as Rep. Kathy Castor (14th District) and Rep. Darren Soto (9th District) are running in newly Republican-leaning districts, while Rep. Jared Moskowitz must first survive a primary challenge from union organizer Oliver Larkin.
Early-Voting Turnout and Voter Registration
The Florida Division of Elections reports that, as of mid-August, nearly two million early-voting and vote-by-mail ballots had been submitted—about 14 % of the state’s registered voters. Republicans have submitted roughly 870,850 ballots, while Democrats have turned in about 806,561. Democratic voters sent 78,745 more vote-by-mail ballots than Republicans, yet Republican voters visited early-voting sites about 143,000 more times. More than 236,000 ballots were cast by voters registered with no party or with other minor parties.
Registration figures from July 20 indicate approximately 13.5 million Floridians are registered to vote: about 5.6 million (42 %) as Republicans, 4.1 million (30 %) as Democrats, and 3.3 million (25 %) with no party affiliation.
Official Statements on Results Reporting
The Associated Press states it will not declare a winner in any race until the outcome is mathematically certain—specifically, when no remaining scenario could allow a trailing candidate to overtake the leader. If a race remains uncalled, the AP will continue to cover candidate concessions or victory declarations while clarifying that an official result has not yet been announced. Florida law requires a machine recount when the margin is 0.5 % or less of total votes, followed by a manual recount of over- and undervotes if the machine recount margin falls to 0.25 % or less.
Upcoming Election Milestones
The primary election is scheduled for a Tuesday in August 2026, with polling hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The statewide general election will occur on a Tuesday later in 2026, under the same polling schedule. Results from the primary will shape the ballot for the November contest, determining the candidates who will compete for governor, the U.S. Senate seat, and all congressional districts.
