Florida’s 6th District House Race: Who Will Win?

Florida's primaries produced a mixed picture for both parties ahead of November's general election. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican gubernatorial nomination with Trump's endorsement and a large financial edge, beating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and newcomer James Fishback despite Gov. Ron DeSantis's public misgivings; Donalds would become Florida's first Black governor if elected. Former Republican congressman David Jolly, running with Gwen Graham as his lieutenant governor pick, won the Democratic nomination over state Rep. Dotie Joseph and others, pitching himself as a centrist who wants to end the culture wars. The two will meet in November to succeed the term-limited DeSantis, in a state where Democrats haven't won the governorship in over 30 years.

Progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon defeated establishment-backed Alex Vindman for the Senate Democratic nomination despite being outspent; she faces Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who won her primary with Trump's backing, in the special election for Marco Rubio's former seat. Incumbents Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz turned back challengers, including Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, in redrawn districts under Florida's new Republican-favored congressional map. Trump-endorsed Cory Mills lost his House primary amid domestic violence allegations, while far-right figures Dan Bilzerian and Madison Cawthorn were also defeated, alongside Rep. Randy Fine's contentious win.

Florida Rep. Randy Fine (R) easily defeated far-right influencer Dan Bilzerian in Tuesday's Republican primary for the state's 6th Congressional District, taking roughly 57% of the vote to Bilzerian's 18% with most ballots counted. The race drew national attention after Bilzerian ran a campaign ad using antisemitic slurs against Fine, who is Jewish, and questioning whether Adolf Hitler's views deserved reassessment. The ad, which used AI-altered imagery of Fine, prompted a rare joint condemnation from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Fine, who won a special election in April 2025 to succeed Mike Waltz, has himself faced criticism for inflammatory remarks, including comments about nuclear strikes on Gaza and disparaging statements about Muslims and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. He is heavily favored to win the general election in November in the safely Republican district covering Florida's Eastern Coast, including Daytona Beach.

Volusia County authorities arrested Daytona Beach resident Allison Albro, 21, after she posted on social media that she was "going to the Trump rally in my city" to "shoot him with my glock." The post came ahead of President Donald Trump's Friday evening rally at the Ocean Center. Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Albro told investigators and the U.S. Secret Service the post was a joke and that she had no access to a firearm. She faces charges of written threats to kill and unlawful use of a communications device. Officials said local, state and federal agencies are coordinating security for the visit.

Idris Evans, a 46-year-old pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, was fatally stabbed early Thursday after a man broke into his family's home on Linden Avenue in Edgewood, Pennsylvania. His wife, Gina Evans, was also wounded but survived; their two young sons escaped to a neighbor's house. Police arrested Elijah Hemingway, 32, who was found hiding in a nearby garden and has been charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, burglary, and aggravated assault. He is presumed innocent.

Hemingway had been released on nonmonetary bond in July on a Pennsylvania burglary charge despite prior domestic-related disorderly conduct pleas and a 2025 Florida case in which he was found incompetent to stand trial after allegedly attacking a girlfriend and fighting deputies. He was also charged Saturday with raping a woman in Wilkinsburg hours before the Edgewood attack, and has since been denied bail on that charge. The case has renewed scrutiny of Allegheny County's pretrial release policies, developed partly with support from the MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge, aimed at reducing jail populations.

Florida GOP Rep. Cory Mills is running for reelection while under House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations he assaulted a former girlfriend and violated campaign finance laws. Mills denies wrongdoing. Though he touts a Trump endorsement from February, Trump did not include Mills in a recent wave of primary endorsements, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he does not support Mills.

Mills faces GOP challengers Ryan Elijah, who has been endorsed by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos, along with Sarah Ulrich and Michael Don Johnson. His central Florida 7th District seat, which he has won twice, was left unchanged in the state's May redistricting.

The controversy has shifted the race's outlook: Cook Political Report moved the district from "solid red" to "likely red." Democrats see an opening, backing Navy veteran Bale Dalton through the DCCC, while former Rep. Alan Grayson is also running. Voter sentiment in the district is split over whether Mills' record outweighs his perceived effectiveness.

A Flagler County woman wrongfully arrested in connection with a deadly Interstate 4 crash testified before a U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing examining automated license plate readers and AI surveillance networks, including Flock Safety cameras.

Lindsey Isaacs, 23, was arrested in April after Florida Highway Patrol accused her of driving the vehicle in an October 2025 crash that killed three people. She spent 13 days in jail before charges were dropped; another woman, Alisa Montalvo, was later arrested in connection with the crash. Isaacs is now suing FHP, alleging troopers falsely claimed her vehicle showed "smudge or rub marks" tying it to the crash, when photos and a separate FHP review found no crash damage.

Her case became a focal point of the hearing, titled "Always Watching: Flock's Nationwide AI Surveillance Network," amid mounting scrutiny of license plate reader technology. Privacy advocates, including the ACLU, warn the systems can produce wrongful arrests and civil rights violations, while many law enforcement officials defend the cameras as essential crime-solving tools.

Flagler County officials have appealed a Bunnell Planning Board decision approving a special exception for a proposed 610-acre landfill west of the city, near County Road 45 and State Road 100. The project, dubbed "Project Butterfly," was developed largely in secret, with its details emerging publicly only hours before the planning board's Sept. 1 vote. The applicant cited Florida's economic development protections for withholding information during site selection.

Despite the late disclosure, Bunnell's board voted 3-1 to approve the exception. County officials argue the city may have violated land-use procedures and question whether adequate time was given for public and governmental review. Residents, including nearby landowners like Neftali and Nicole DeJesus, who operate a horse farm near the site, have voiced strong opposition over potential impacts to groundwater, traffic, odor, agriculture and property values.

The county's appeal now goes to the Bunnell City Commission. If upheld, the dispute could escalate to a state administrative proceeding or the courts, prolonging the fight over the landfill's future.

Daytona Beach City Auditor Abinet Belachew has resigned, submitting his formal resignation letter to Mayor Derrick L. Henry and the City Commission. Belachew, appointed in September 2025, said his departure will be effective Oct. 15, 2026, roughly one year after he took the post. He brought more than two decades of government financial oversight experience to the role.

The resignation comes amid a state investigation into questionable city spending. In December 2025, Florida's Joint Legislative Auditing Committee voted to investigate Daytona Beach following reports of P-card misuse, excess building permit revenue, and questionable vehicle purchases. A subsequent internal audit of the fire department found over $500,000 in improper P-card charges for vehicle repairs and fuel, take-home vehicles with no mileage logs, and more than $50,000 in fast-food spending by leadership. Belachew cited accomplishments including a new audit framework and risk-based audit plan, and urged the city to preserve an independent auditor's office going forward.

Daytona Beach's city auditor resigned as a state probe into P-card misuse and questionable spending continues.

A 31-year-old Florida man was arrested Tuesday after Volusia County deputies discovered his dog suffering from extreme neglect and starvation. The animal, named Tanner, was found covered in sores and infections, weak and in urgent need of medical care.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the dog was surrendered by its owner, Johnathan Meyers, and taken to an Animal Services shelter for emergency treatment. Investigators reviewed Tanner's veterinary records and determined Meyers had subjected the dog to a prolonged pattern of neglect. Meyers was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, resisting officers, and possession of drug paraphernalia after a meth pipe was found during his arrest. He denied the allegations of neglect while being detained.

Authorities said Tanner has since gained weight and shown improvement from his infections, with officials expecting a full recovery and eventual adoption placement.