2026 Florida primary election guide: Key races to watch across South Florida on Aug. 18

Florida voters will decide the nominees for several of the state's most powerful offices in the Aug. 18 primary, including a U.S. Senate seat, an open governor's office and congressional races reshaped by a new political map.

The election is Florida's first under new congressional boundaries approved during a 2026 special legislative session. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the map into law May 4, creating new political territory across South Florida and forcing some incumbents and longtime officeholders into unfamiliar or more competitive contests. The map is facing a legal challenge, but it is still being used for the 2026 elections.

Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally may participate only in the primary of the political party with which they are registered. Some races will not appear on every ballot, depending on a voter's party affiliation and home address.

Here are some of the biggest federal and state races on South Florida ballots.

Florida governor

The governor's race will determine DeSantis' successor because the Republican is prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term.

The qualified Republican candidates include:

• U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds 
• Lt. Gov. Jay Collins 
• Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner 
• Businessman James Fishback
• Jim Holcomb
• Arthur McCaffrey
• Daniel Nokovich
• Rachel Rodriguez
• James Shaw
• Caneste Succe
• Bobby Williams

Donalds, who has President Trump's endorsement, entered the closing weeks of the campaign as the best-known candidate, while Collins has emphasized his experience as a Green Beret and member of the DeSantis administration.

The Democratic candidates are: 

• David Jolly, considered the leading Democratic candidate, with former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his lieutenant governor candidate
• Evelyn Castillo-Bach
• Thomas Eloy Fernandez
• Dayna Marie Foster
• Dotie Joseph
• Stephann Norman

Charles Burkett qualified as a candidate with no party affiliation rather than as a Republican, so he will not appear in the Republican primary.

The Republican primary will help determine whether Florida continues the Trump-aligned direction represented by Donalds or selects a candidate more closely connected to DeSantis and the state Legislature. The next governor will inherit major debates over property insurance, condominium costs, immigration enforcement, education, abortion, taxes and the state's rapid population growth.

For Democrats, the race is a test of whether Jolly, a former Republican congressman, can build a coalition of Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans after years of GOP dominance in statewide elections. The party has not elected a Florida governor since Lawton Chiles won reelection in 1994.

U.S. Senate

Florida's Senate election will determine who completes the term previously held by Marco Rubio, who left the Senate in January 2025 to become U.S. secretary of state. DeSantis appointed then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the vacancy, but Moody must now win election to remain in the seat through the end of Rubio's term.

Moody faces three Republican challengers: Army veteran Chris Gleason, physician Neelam Taneja Perry and the Rev. Ernest "Ernie" Rivera.

The Democratic primary features state Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville and retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, who became nationally known after testifying during President Donald Trump's first impeachment inquiry. Neil Gillespie is also running without party affiliation and will not appear in either party's primary.

The contest is important because Moody begins with the advantages of incumbency and statewide name recognition after previously winning two terms as attorney general. The Republican challengers are trying to turn the race into a referendum on whether an appointed senator should automatically receive the party's nomination.

For Democrats, the Nixon-Vindman contest presents a choice between two distinct political profiles. Nixon has emphasized progressive economic proposals, including higher taxes on billionaires and expanded public services, while Vindman has focused on middle-class tax relief, health care costs and his military and national-security experience.

U.S. House District 20

Florida's newly configured 20th Congressional District includes predominantly Black communities in central and western Broward County. It includes portions of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Tamarac, North Lauderdale, Plantation, Sunrise and Pompano Beach.

The Democratic primary includes: 

• Incumbent U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick 
• Former Broward Mayor Dale Holness 
• Rapper, entrepreneur Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell 
• Activist Elijah Manley 
• Longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose former district was substantially altered by the new map. 

The Republican primary candidates are: 

• Brent Andersen
• Lateresa "LA" Jones
• Rod Joseph
• Carla Spalding

Independent Kedner Maxime advanced without a primary.

The Democratic primary is among the most consequential congressional races in Florida because the heavily Democratic district has historically provided Black voters in Broward and Palm Beach counties with an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. The new map also placed several high-profile Democrats in the same political territory, raising questions about regional representation, seniority in Congress and the future of one of South Florida's safest Democratic seats.

The contest also tests whether Wasserman Schultz's experience and national fundraising network can overcome candidates with deeper political or cultural ties to the district's Black communities. Cherfilus-McCormick is defending her seat against several challengers, while Campbell's celebrity and community profile and Holness' years in Broward politics add further uncertainty to a crowded race.

U.S. House District 22

The 22nd Congressional District covers portions of Palm Beach County, including communities in and around West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and neighboring unincorporated areas. The district was redrawn for 2026, changing the political makeup of the seat represented under the previous map by Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel.

Democrats Pia Dandiya and Kaysia Earley are competing for their party's nomination. The Republican field includes Casey Askar, David Burck, Michael Carbonara, Richard Evans, Terri Hasdorff, Belinda Keiser and Michael Thompson.

The race is important because Palm Beach County has been divided differently under the new congressional map, potentially making previously secure political territory more competitive. The large Republican field also means the nominee could be selected with a relatively small share of the primary vote.

The Democratic contest will determine which candidate attempts to preserve the party's support along the county's urban and coastal corridor.

U.S. House District 24

Seven Democrats are seeking the nomination in District 24 after longtime U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson decided not to seek another term. The district includes predominantly Black and Hispanic communities in northern Miami-Dade and southern Broward counties, including Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami, Little Haiti, Brownsville, West Park, Pembroke Park and portions of Miramar and Miami.

The Democratic candidates are: 

• Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III 
• State Sen. Shevrin "Shev" Jones
• Kendrick Meek Jr., the grandson of the late U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek 
• Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime 
• Physician and former congressional candidate Rudolph Moise 
• Marshall Davis Sr., who leads Miami-Dade's African Heritage Cultural Arts Center 
• Attorney Roderick Vereen. 

Te Mayonna Brown is the unopposed Republican nominee, while Andy Daro qualified without party affiliation.

The primary represents a generational turning point in a district Wilson has represented since 2011 and that Carrie Meek represented before her. Because the seat strongly favors Democrats, the primary winner will enter the general election as the presumptive favorite and could become one of the most prominent Black elected officials in South Florida.

U.S. House District 25

The newly formed 25th Congressional District runs along part of Florida's southeast coast and includes portions of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, linking communities in and around Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, portions of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Miami Beach.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz faces Oliver Adams Larkin in the Democratic primary. 

Republicans Dan Franzese, Raven Harrison, Joe Kaufman, former state Rep. George Moraitis and former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer are competing for their party's nomination. 

Libertarian Peter Jassenoff and write-in candidate Michaelangelo Hamilton also qualified for the general election.

The district is one of South Florida's most closely watched seats because the new boundaries created a more politically competitive constituency for Moskowitz. Republicans view it as a possible pickup opportunity in their effort to maintain control of the U.S. House, while Democrats will need to hold together voters from communities that previously belonged to different districts.

The Democratic primary also highlights divisions over foreign policy and the direction of the party. Moskowitz has been a prominent supporter of Israel and an advocate for gun-violence prevention, while Larkin has called for ending U.S. aid to Israel, raising the federal minimum wage and establishing Medicare for All.

U.S. House District 26

District 26 includes portions of western Miami-Dade and Broward, stretching across a geographic area that includes communities near Doral, Hialeah and Miami Lakes.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Democrat Nicole Locklin are unopposed for their respective party nominations, meaning neither will face a competitive Aug. 18 primary. 

Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey qualified without party affiliation and will also appear in the general election.

Although there is no partisan primary, the race remains notable because Diaz-Balart is Florida's longest-serving current member of Congress and holds considerable influence through his seniority and appropriations work. His district has long been anchored in Cuban American communities in northwest Miami-Dade but now crosses broader geographic and demographic territory.

U.S. House District 27

District 27 is centered in Miami-Dade County and includes parts of the City of Miami, Coral Gables, Kendall, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest and surrounding communities.

Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar faces attorney V. Michael Arias in the Republican primary. 

Former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero and former television news anchor Eliott Rodriguez are competing for the Democratic nomination.

Salazar is seeking another term while defending her approach to immigration, including her support for temporary protections for some migrants and her work on legislation proposing a path to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants. Arias is challenging Salazar from within the Republican Party while criticizing Congress' handling of housing, immigration and presidential oversight.

On the Democratic side, Peguero is emphasizing his legal and prosecutorial background, while Rodriguez is running on decades of visibility in South Florida and proposals addressing housing and health care affordability.

U.S. House District 28

District 28 covers southern Miami-Dade County and Monroe County, including communities such as Homestead, Florida City, Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay and the Florida Keys.

Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez and Democrat Phil Ehr are unopposed in their party primaries. 

Eddy Rojas qualified without party affiliation and will appear in the general election.

Gimenez, a former Miami-Dade mayor, enters the general election with the advantages of incumbency and strong Republican support in South Florida. Ehr, a retired Navy commander who previously ran for Congress in Northwest Florida, will attempt to make the race competitive by focusing on national security, the environment and the cost of living.

Florida attorney general

Neither major party has a contested attorney general primary. 

Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier and Democratic former state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez both qualified without opposition and will advance directly to the November election.

Uthmeier was appointed attorney general after Moody moved to the U.S. Senate. Before that, he served as DeSantis' chief of staff and played a central role in advancing the governor's legal and policy agenda.

Rodriguez is a former state senator and state representative from Miami-Dade County who later served in the Biden administration as an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor.