RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Republican Rep. Cory Mills has lost his primary in Florida, NBC News projects, amid a swirl of investigations and negative publicity and despite running with the backing of President Donald Trump. Former television journalist Ryan Elijah captured the Republican nomination over Mills in Florida’s 7th District, a seat Trump carried by 12 percentage points in 2024. Democrats have hoped to make it competitive this fall, especially if Mills were on the ballot. With more than 80% of the expected vote counted, Elijah had 46% of the GOP primary vote to 34% for Mills. Unlike other incumbents who have fallen short this year for being on the wrong side of intraparty divides, Mills was defeated as he has been dogged by multiple investigations, including a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations, as well as a Justice Department investigation into his finances. He has denied wrongdoing. Despite his struggles, Mills still got Trump’s endorsement. The loss makes him the latest member of a relatively rare set of Republican candidates who lost GOP primaries even with Trump’s blessing. Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee also lost his primary this month with Trump’s support. Mills is the 11th House member — seven Democrats and four Republicans — to lose a primary this year, an unusually high number. Elijah ran with support from a slew of prominent Florida Republicans who have either directly or indirectly referred to Mills’ woes. Republican Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos took the rare step of endorsing against a House colleague, putting out a statement that emphasized Elijah’s character. “We need leaders in Congress who serve with integrity, energy, and an unwavering commitment to the people who sent them there,” they wrote. Facing a clear threat to his political career, Mills struggled to raise money, pulling in less than $900,000 through late July. That was still twice what Elijah raised during the same period, though less than the takes of the vast majority of House members seeking re-election, according to an NBC News analysis of campaign finance reports. Mills, an Army veteran, was a military contractor before he made a successful bid for Congress in 2022. His House tenure has included both the Ethics Committee and Justice Department investigations and bipartisan calls for him to resign this spring and previous allegations from an ex-girlfriend that he harassed her. Mills has repeatedly denied he has done anything wrong in all of those cases. While neither candidate spent much on the airwaves, Elijah significantly outspent Mills on ads: $82,000 to $12,000, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Bale Dalton, a former NASA official, is projected to win the Democratic primary. He defeated former Rep. Alan Grayson, who was seeking another return to Congress.
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