Florida's 7th District: Ryan Elijah, a former TV anchor, defeats embattled Congressman Cory Mills

Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel on Aug 18, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Former Fox TV 35 anchor Ryan Elijah — a political newcomer who grew a well-financed campaign — defeated embattled U.S. Rep. Cory Mills and two other opponents in the GOP primary for the U.S. House District 7 seat on Tuesday.

Elijah, 54, will face Democrat Bale Dalton, of Sanford, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Dalton, a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, won his party’s nomination by defeating former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson and candidate Marialana Kinter, a UCF student and former Naval nuclear reactor supervisor.

But it was the Mills race that drew the most attention in Central Florida, and even nationally, this political season. Mills was seeking his third term in Congress despite facing a series of scandals and an ethics investigation over the past two years.

He won 34.5 % of the vote Tuesday, far short of Elijah’s nearly 47%, according to results from the Associated Press.

A former girlfriend was granted a protection order against him. In another case, Mills was investigated by Washington, D.C., police after a woman claimed she was assaulted. And Mills was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. It’s also been reported the Mills is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Mills also has been accused of misrepresenting his military record.

He has denied any wrongdoing, and President Donald Trump endorsed him last February.

But Mills was left off Trump’s most recent congressional endorsements released last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis also stated during a press conference that he was neither supporting nor endorsing Mills.

A political newcomer, Elijah, of Sanford, entered the race in May and quickly collected endorsements from several prominent individuals — including Seminole Sheriff Dennis Lemma, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, and former Congressman and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. He also amassed a large campaign chest, collecting more than $300,000 within a few months.

On the Democratic Party side, Dalton had garnered the support of former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and former congressional representatives Val Demings and Stephanie Murphy.

Congressional District 7 takes in all of Seminole and part of Volusia. The area has leaned red in recent elections.

However, according to the well-regarded Silver Bulletin, a political analysis site by statistician Nate Silver, Dalton has a slight edge in winning November’s general election.

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