More than a dozen people — including veteran elected officials and political newcomers — are running to represent Central Florida in United States Congress, just weeks after district lines were redrawn to favor Republican candidates in much of the state.
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Florida candidates had to meet a noon deadline on Friday to qualify to run for state offices and Congress, setting the stage for crowded primaries this August in several districts.
More than two dozen people have also qualified to run for governor, though of that list, just a handful are considered serious contenders.
Among Republicans, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and former House Speaker Paul Renner are considered frontrunners. For the Democrats, former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who served in Congress as a Republican, is the top contender after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings suspended his campaign last week because he has cancer.
For U.S. Senate, incumbent Ashley Moody is the favorite among Republicans. Prominent Democratic candidates in the race include state Rep. Angie Nixon and Army combat veteran Alex Vindman.
Congress
The race likely to draw the most national attention is District 7, which takes in Seminole County and much of Volusia County. That seat is currently held by Republican Cory Mills, who has been the target of criticism from members of his own party.
Mills is the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee probe, which is examining whether he violated campaign finance laws, misused his congressional office, and engaged in sexual misconduct.
Despite those allegations, Mills has raised more than $800,000, the most of anyone in the race. But one challenger, Democrat Bale Dalton, has almost tied Mills’ total with his reported contributions nearing $700,000.
Dalton, who has not previously served in an elected office, is a Navy veteran and former NASA chief of staff. Four other people had qualified to run for the seat as of Friday afternoon, according to the Department of State’s website.
Seven people have also filed to run for retiring U.S. Rep Daniel Webster’s seat. Former state Rep. and current Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini had filed to run, but announced Friday he was pulling out of the race after a federal judge denied a request from Sabatini to stop Florida from enforcing its resign-to-run law.
Sabatini, a Republican, wanted to keep his county commission seat while he ran for Congress and wrote on X that it would have been “irresponsible” for him to resign “because there’s too much on the line” for Lake County.
Former Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker, a Republican, has qualified to run for the seat, as has Democrat Barbie Harden Hall, who ran against Webster in 2024. A half-dozen other candidates have also thrown their hats in the ring.
Seven Republicans have lined up to challenge Democratic Rep. Darren Soto, who faces a tough re-election after his district was redrawn to include many more GOP voters. The new district stretches south from mostly Democratic Osceola to deep-red Glades County, which is more than 100 miles south of Kissimmee. A prominent GOP challenger is Thomas Chalifoux, an Army veteran and businessman who lost to Soto in 2024.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, meanwhile, could have his re-election on lock. The Democrat represents a heavily blue district that includes much of Orlando’s urban core, and the sole Republican who filed to run for that seat, as well as a write-in candidate, were not listed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
Frost declared victory, saying in a statement, “I’m proud that the people of Central Florida continue to put their trust in me, and I don’t take that for granted.”
State Senate and House
Maitland Mayor John Lowndes, a Democrat, is seeking to challenge state Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Republican, in the November general election, setting up a likely political fight over Seminole’s rural boundary. Lowndes has a Democratic challenger, H. Alexander Duncan.
Among Central Florida’s state House races, there was one last-minute surprise as two-term Republican state Rep. Susan Plasencia announced Friday she would not be seeking reelection in District 37 so she could take care of her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, according to Florida Politics.
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Plasencia has endorsed educator Robert Prater of Orlando to succeed her. The Republican Prater will face Democrat Jane Aman, a lecturer at the University of Central Florida. The district covers parts of Orange and Seminole counties.
State Rep. Rita Harris, D-Orlando, may have a last-minute, non-party opponent preventing her from officially winning re-election without any Democratic or GOP challengers. Beulah Rosita Farquharson, a perennial candidate across the state, was not confirmed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
Candidates seeking several other seats have their general election matches sewn up.
Freshman state Rep. Erika Booth, R-St. Cloud, is facing off against Democrat Eric Gray, executive director of the Christian Service Center for the Homeless nonprofit in Orlando.
Freshman Democratic state Rep. RaShon Young is running for a full term after winning his western Orange seat in a special election last year. He is being challenged by Republican Nate Robertson, a minister who unsuccessfully ran in 2022.
In the race to succeed term-limited State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, a major progressive voice in the Legislature, Democrat Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, a prominent immigrant rights activist, will be facing off against Republican Bonnie Jackson, a Winter Park attorney.
Freshman state Rep. Leonard Spencer, D-Gotha, is being challenged by Republican Erin Huntley, the chair of the Orange County GOP. Lee Steinhauer, an attorney from Horizon West, was not confirmed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
In Seminole County, two-term Republican State Rep. Rachel Plakon is being challenged by Democrat Darryl Block, a divorce lawyer from Sanford. Republican Joshua Sorto was not confirmed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
In Lake, state Rep. Nan Cobb, R-Eustis, is challenged by Democrat Robyn Elaine Lawrence, a Leesburg resident who says she would be the first transgender woman to serve in the Florida House.
State Rep. Richard Gentry, an attorney from Astor in Lake County, faces Democrat Andy Ferrari, who lost to Gentry in 2024.
Party primaries were set up in some other Central Florida seats.
Three candidates are seeking to replace term-limited state Rep. David Smith, R-Winter Springs. Emily Duda Buckley of Oviedo, who has served as a children’s guardian and Marcus Hyatt, an attorney and former Orlando police officer, will face off in the GOP primary to take on Democratic educator Michelle DeJesus.
Two-term Republican state Rep. Doug Bankson, a minister from Apopka, is being challenged by fellow Republican Carlos Johary Sr., a dentist from Longwood. The winner will face Democrat Jarod Fox, a physician from Winter Garden.
Longtime Democratic State Rep. Bruce Antone is seeking his ninth term in two separate stints. Democrat Jane’t Buford-Johnson, who unsuccessfully challenged Antone in 2024, and Republican Michael Lincoln-McCreight were not confirmed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
Four candidates are vying to succeed Democratic state Rep. Johanna Lopez, D-Orlando, who is running for the Orange Commission. They include Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the former chair of the Orange Democrats, and Daisy Morales, the former Democratic state Rep. ousted from her seat in 2022 after controversy. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Jorge Malavet, a Republican U.S. Navy veteran, and write-in candidate Areeb Gulzar.
Freshman Democratic state Rep. Jose Alvarez, D-Kissimmee, is facing three familiar challengers who lost to him in 2024: Fellow Democrat Robert LeWayne Johnson; Republican Michael Cruz; and NPA candidate Ivan Rivera. Democrat Kenneth Quinones was not confirmed as having qualified as of Friday afternoon.
Two-term state Rep. Taylor Yarkosky, R-Clermont, is being challenged by fellow Republican Tom Vail,a Groveland CEO, and Democrat Banks Helfrich, a Clermont farmer.
Read more Get ready to vote: Dozens of local candidates qualify for Central Florida races