3 Trump-Endorsed Candidates Go Down in Florida, Wyoming Primaries — Including Scandal-Plagued Rep. Cory Mills

(Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP photo)

Three candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump lost their primaries on Tuesday night, including scandal-plagued Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), who lost to a former TV reporter in The Sunshine State.

The losses indicate the commander-in-chief’s backing is not a guarantee voters will support his preferred candidate… but it’s still a pretty good bet. More on that in a moment.

Mills was the most high-profile of the three Trump-boosted candidates who lost, with the Republican rep losing to Ryan Elijah in Florida’s 7th district. His defeat comes as Mills has been involved in a slew of controversies, from allegations of domestic violence and harassment to claims of stolen valor from fellow veterans, while also currently facing a House Ethics Committee investigation.

Mills has denied any wrongdoing.

As The Hill noted, Mills received Trump’s support but was not included in a series of posts from the president on Truth Social before the election where he endorsed several other candidates.

Two Florida GOP lawmakers — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) also ditched Mills and endorsed Elijah a few weeks ago, while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said a few days ago that he was out on Mills as well.

The two other Trump-endorsed candidates who lost: Catalina Lauf in Florida, and Megan Degenfelder in Wyoming.

As for Trump’s overall endorsement record, Ballotpedia shows 313 of the 330 primary candidates he has supported this year have won — 96%. That matches his win percentage from 2024 and is up 3% from 2022; it narrowly trails his best year ever (2020), when 97% of the candidates he supported won — but he also endorsed about 140 less candidates back in ’20.

Trump-endorsed candidates who won on Tuesday night included Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in Florida’s GOP gubernatorial primary, and Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) in the state’s special election to keep Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s seat.

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