Primaries in Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming on Tuesday offered a fresh perspective on voter sentiment ahead of November's US midterm elections. A candidate aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) secured an unexpected victory, while another suffered a decisive defeat. Donald Trump's endorsed candidates received mixed results. In Alaska, voters selected contenders for a key US Senate race. In Florida, extremist positions remained prominent among Republicans.
Democratic Socialists Achieve First Statewide Victory
State Representative Angie Nixon defeated Alexander Vindman for the Democratic nomination in Florida's US Senate race, marking the first time a DSA member has won a statewide primary, though the group did not officially endorse her. According to the Associated Press, Nixon's odds of winning against Republican Ashley Moody in November appear challenging, but her victory signals that Democratic voters are willing to reject party establishment preferences in favor of candidates they personally support. Vindman, known for his whistleblower role during Trump's first term, held a significant cash advantage and backing from leading Democrats, yet lost by a wide margin.
Alaska Senate Race Takes Shape
As anticipated, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan won his primary in Alaska, while former Congresswoman Mary Peltola secured the Democratic nomination to challenge him in one of the year's most prominent US Senate contests. Alaska uses non-partisan primaries where the top four vote-getters advance. Although counting is incomplete, the Associated Press reports that another Republican candidate named Dan Sullivan and Democrat David B. Leslie are leading to appear on the November ballot. A potentially troubling sign for Sullivan in the midterms: Peltola led him in the primary, winning 48% of the vote to the Republican senator's 42.8%.
Mixed Results for Progressives
Progressives did not prevail everywhere. In south Florida, Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz won his primary, easily defeating DSA-endorsed challenger Oliver Larkin. Following the race, Moskowitz harshly criticized the DSA and popular streamer Hasan Piker for campaigning against his renomination, arguing that because his district has been gerrymandered by Florida's legislature to be more winnable for Republicans, he is the best candidate to keep it in Democratic hands during the US midterm elections.
Democrats Show Strength Down the Ballot
Several local and special elections provided further evidence of Democratic voter enthusiasm this year. Pennsylvania statehouse candidate Brandon Dukes won a special election against Republican opponent Scott Timko in a seat Trump carried by 18 percentage points in 2024. Although Florida has become increasingly conservative and Republican over the past decade, Democrats ousted a Moms for Liberty board member in Sarasota and won an at-large city council seat in Jacksonville.
Extremism and Trump Endorsees Face Voters
The primary elections included several extremist candidates. Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, backed by neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes, lost badly in the Republican primary but still garnered support in precincts around college campuses. Election denier Chuck Gray won his bid for the at-large US House seat in Wyoming. Congressman Randy Fine, criticized for Islamophobic and homophobic statements, survived a primary challenge from antisemitic and transphobic influencer and businessman Dan Bilzerian.
Several candidates endorsed by Trump did not resonate with voters. The president had backed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder in Wyoming's Republican gubernatorial primary, but she lost to State Senator Eric Barlow. Congressman Cory Mills lost his primary in Florida to former TV reporter Ryan Elijah, while a former official from Trump's first term, Catalina Lauf, failed in a bid for a nomination to the US House.
Mills's primary loss is notable because it resolves a problem for House Republicans without further damaging their razor-thin majority. The second-term congressman was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for a range of misconduct, and faced allegations of domestic assault and fraud. While some House lawmakers had hinted he should resign, as three other lawmakers facing similar allegations did earlier this year, Mills's departure could have jeopardized the GOP's control of the chamber. Instead, two of his Republican colleagues endorsed his successful primary challenger, and Mills's time in the House will end at the start of next year.
