{"id":24140,"date":"2026-08-19T04:01:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T04:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24140"},"modified":"2026-08-19T04:01:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T04:01:37","slug":"trump-backed-cory-mills-loses-florida-gop-primary-amid-ethics-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24140","title":{"rendered":"Trump-backed Cory Mills loses Florida GOP primary amid ethics probe"},"content":{"rendered":"


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NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

President Donald Trump’s endorsement was not enough to save one scandal-plagued Florida congressman Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., lost his bid for a third term representing the Sunshine State’s 7th Congressional District as a House Ethics Committee investigation and alleged federal probe weighed down his candidacy.<\/p>\n

The winner in the race was Ryan Elijah, a former Orlando-area news anchor for FOX 35 and a one-time NFL sideline reporter.<\/p>\n

WATCH: CORY MILLS BLASTS DOJ PROBE AS \u2018POLITICAL OP’ AHEAD OF FLORIDA PRIMARY<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on April 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C.<\/span> (Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Elijah lives in Seminole County with his wife, where the pair raised their two sons, according to his campaign website.<\/p>\n

The win is undoubtedly an upset victory against Mills, who held a sizable lead in multiple polls leading up to primary night and earned the most important and coveted endorsement in GOP politics.<\/p>\n

But the effort to oust Mills from Congress has lasted months and was ultimately successful.<\/p>\n

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., led a failed bipartisan effort to censure Mills and threatened to push for his expulsion, though she later backed off the latter measure. She also endorsed Elijah’s bid against the Florida lawmaker.<\/p>\n

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President Donald Trump boards Air Force One Aug. 9, 2026, at Morristown Airport in Morristown, N.J.<\/span> (Eric Lee\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Earlier this month, Reps. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced they were also endorsing Elijah over Mills in a race for the seat in their home state.<\/p>\n

Mills, a military veteran, referenced his Trump endorsement several times on the campaign trail as he downplayed scandals plaguing his bid to keep his job.<\/p>\n

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER WELCOMES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE INTO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Rep. Mike Haridopolos leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on June 10, 2025.<\/span> (Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mills is the latest in a string of House Republicans to fall amid scandals in recent months.<\/p>\n

Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., dropped his re-election bid in the wake of an explosive House Ethics Committee report that accused him of harassing two young female staffers.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n

House Democrats also targeted Mills as a potential vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterms. It’s not clear if they will put the same focus on Elijah now that he ousted the embattled congressman.<\/p>\n

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Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.<\/p>\n

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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