Full Breakdown
Florida Democratic Primary in the 25th Congressional District: Establishment vs. DSA Challenge
8/19/2026, 9:28:46 AM
Primary Contest Overview
Incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a two-term Democrat, faces Oliver Larkin, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), in today’s Democratic primary for Florida’s newly drawn 25th Congressional District. The race is being watched as a test of the DSA’s ability to win in a competitive, diverse district outside traditional urban strongholds.
Candidates and Campaign Strategies
Moskowitz, who served as Governor Ron DeSantis’s emergency-management director before his 2022 election, positions himself as a pragmatic lawmaker willing to work across party lines. He receives backing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, AIPAC-associated donors, and an artificial-intelligence super-PAC called *Leading the Future*. He also joined former President Trump’s “department of government efficiency” initiative and voted for the Laken Riley Act, which expands ICE detention authority.
Larkin, a union organizer and former staffer on Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 campaign, runs on a platform that includes Medicare for All, tuition-free public universities, abolition of ICE, opposition to the Cuba embargo, and a stance against weapons transfers to Israel. His campaign relies on grassroots tactics: a virtual fundraiser with streamer Hasan Piker that raised roughly $60,000 in one night, more than 35,000 door knocks, and over 170,000 voter calls since April. Larkin rejects corporate contributions and has drawn support from prominent far-left figures.
Fundraising, Polls, and Ground Operations
According to campaign-finance filings cited by the report, Moskowitz has raised nearly $3 million this cycle, including $953,000 from AIPAC-associated donors and over $300,000 from the *Leading the Future* super-PAC. Larkin has raised over $1 million from roughly 20,000 unique donors, explicitly refusing corporate money.
A Beacon Insights poll in June showed Moskowitz leading Larkin 51% to 19%. By contrast, a Center for Strategic Politics survey released last week found the two candidates in a statistical tie; this result was reported by *The Guardian*. Analysts caution that primary polls can be volatile because of low turnout and high numbers of undecided voters.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They're a bunch of silly people... a pack of fools,” — James Carville
