Florida voters will decide races for governor, U.S. Senate and other state offices Tuesday, with Republicans seeking to extend their long run of statewide wins. It is the first election under a new congressional map that Republicans adopted in May to help the party hold the U.S. House.
In the governor’s race, former Rep. David Jolly, a Democrat who left the Republican Party in 2018 and rejoined the Democrats in 2025, faces Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee backed by President Donald Trump. Gwen Graham, daughter of the late Bob Graham, is Jolly’s running mate. Six independent or third-party candidates are also on the ballot.
Republican Sen. Ashley Moody is defending her seat against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon and an independent. Moody was appointed in January 2025 to fill the seat Marco Rubio vacated.
The new map could shift several races. Democratic incumbents Kathy Castor, Darren Soto and Jared Moskowitz face tough contests in redrawn districts. Moskowitz’s 25th District covers part of South Florida’s Gold Coast. The redrawn 22nd District, which takes in most of the current majority-Black 20th District, is also competitive.
Polls close at 7 p.m. local time. Most of the state is on Eastern time, while a few counties in the Panhandle observe Central time. Florida counties usually report early and mail ballot results first, and the Associated Press does not declare winners until no trailing candidate can catch up. Miami-Dade remains a key county to watch after Trump made gains with Latino voters there in 2024.
