Florida voters choose in governor, Senate primaries, and more races to watch
Three states are holding primaries on Tuesday, with Florida deciding their nominees for both governor and for Senate.
Updated on: August 18, 2026 / 6:37 AM EDT / CBS News
Floridians will also be voting in primaries in new congressional districts after GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through new district boundaries to give Republicans an advantage in 24 of the state's 28 districts.
Here are the major races to watch today:
Florida hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994 and DeSantis is prevented from running again due to term limits. In 2018, DeSantis won by less than a single point . By 2022, he won by 20 points — transforming Florida from being seen as a swing state to being solidly Republican.
Rep. Byron Donalds , first elected in 2020 to represent Naples, Fort Myers and the surrounding area, is backed by President Trump and has long branded himself as a "Make America Great Again" member of the House. He is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus and in 2023, challenged Kevin McCarthy in the race to become speaker, forcing 15 rounds of voting. Donalds also put his name in the bid to replace McCarthy 10 months later when he was ousted from the speakership .