--- title: "Florida primaries to replace DeSantis and fill Rubio Senate term" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-17T14:05:34.211Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T13:13:03.000Z" updated: "2026-08-17T14:30:48.047Z" trust_score: 57 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-17T15:15:23.392315+00:00" --- # Florida primaries to replace DeSantis and fill Rubio Senate term *Eleven Republicans and six Democrats compete for governor as redrawn districts reshape House races* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 57 of 100, higher is better. Two independent full reports corroborate the central claims. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Full reports quote affected parties and separate fact from comment. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline matches the body's measured tone. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Florida holds primaries on 20 August 2026 for governor, U.S. Senate, and all congressional seats under a new district map. - Eleven Republicans and six Democrats are running to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. - The redrawn congressional map eliminates four Democratic-leaning districts, forcing incumbents into Republican-friendly races. - Republican U.S. Senator Ashley Moody faces minimal opposition for her party’s nomination. Florida voters will select party nominees on 20 August 2026 to replace term-limited Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio’s unexpired U.S. Senate term. The state will also hold its first congressional primaries since adopting a redrawn district map in May 2026, which was designed to boost Republican candidates in the November general election. Eleven candidates are competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, including Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, former investment firm CEO James Fishback, and former state House Speaker Paul Renner. Donalds, who has former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, holds a significant fundraising lead. Collins, a close ally of DeSantis, has positioned himself as the candidate to “protect the DeSantis legacy.” DeSantis has not endorsed any candidate in the primary. Six Democrats are running for governor, including former Republican U.S. Representative David Jolly, state Representative Dotie Joseph, and former high school math teacher Dayna Marie Foster. Jolly, who switched parties in 2025, leads the Democratic field in fundraising. Florida Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in over 30 years, and DeSantis was reelected in 2022 by a 19-point margin. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Senator Ashley Moody faces minimal opposition for her party’s nomination. Moody was appointed by DeSantis in January 2025 to fill Rubio’s vacant seat. Her Democratic opponent in November will be either state Representative Angie Nixon or retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, a key witness in Trump’s first impeachment. The new congressional map eliminates four districts currently or most recently represented by Democrats. Democratic incumbents Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, and Jared Moskowitz are running for reelection in newly drawn Republican-friendly districts. In South Florida, the map reduces the number of Democratic districts from five to three. Former U.S. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is challenging incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary for the redrawn 20th District, which is no longer a majority-Black district. ## What the coverage left out None of the digests from the right-rated outlet mentioned the fundraising leads held by Byron Donalds in the Republican gubernatorial primary or David Jolly in the Democratic primary. The right-rated digest also omitted the names of Democratic candidates other than Jolly, and did not report on the challenges faced by Democratic incumbents in the redrawn congressional districts. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 54% (7) - Centre: 38% (5) - Right: 8% (1) 0 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-17T15:15:23.392315+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-17T15:30:39.051Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports, all of which carried the Associated Press’s full article, led on the competitive Democratic gubernatorial primary and the party’s long losing streak in statewide elections. They noted the rivalry between moderate and progressive candidates, and highlighted the backgrounds of David Jolly, a former Republican, and Dotie Joseph, a Black state lawmaker who opposed the redistricting plans. The reports also emphasised the impact of the redrawn congressional map on Democratic incumbents, including the challenges faced by Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, and Jared Moskowitz in Republican-friendly districts. - The Associated Press report, published by outlets including the Seattle Times and the Hamilton Spectator, described Florida Democrats as “beleaguered” and in “electoral doldrums.” It quoted DeSantis’s 2022 reelection margin of 19 points and noted that a Democrat last won the governorship more than 30 years ago. The report also highlighted Alex Vindman’s role in Trump’s first impeachment and his brother’s election to Congress in 2024. ### Centre - The centre-rated digests, from outlets including WTOP and the Winnipeg Free Press, led on the gubernatorial and Senate primaries, as well as the state’s first congressional primaries under the new district map. WTOP’s full report noted the rivalry between DeSantis and Trump as a defining feature of the Republican gubernatorial primary, and described the Democratic field as competing to guide the party “out of their electoral doldrums.” The report also highlighted the minimal opposition faced by Senator Ashley Moody in her primary. - The centre-rated reports carried the same details about the redrawn congressional map as the left-rated reports, including the elimination of four Democratic-leaning districts and the challenges faced by Democratic incumbents. WTOP’s report quoted DeSantis’s description of Jay Collins as “the Chuck Norris of Florida politics” and noted that DeSantis had not endorsed a candidate in the primary. ### Right - The right-rated digest from VINnews led on the gubernatorial and Senate primaries, as well as the state’s first congressional primaries under the new district map. The digest did not include details about the Democratic gubernatorial primary or the party’s electoral struggles. It also did not mention the backgrounds of Democratic candidates such as David Jolly or Alex Vindman, or the impact of the redrawn map on Democratic incumbents. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 7 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [WESH](https://wesh.com/article/what-to-expect-in-florida-state-primary/73452420) — What to expect in Florida's state primary - [VINnews](https://vinnews.com/2026/08/17/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary) — AP Decision Notes: What to Expect in Florida’s State Primary - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary/article_10e892e8-38e6-5b69-bcc0-7b9d7d105da1.html) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/government/2026/08/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/florida-primary-governor-senate-house-c59486c484da679c304c64cc5c986acc) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [Bozeman Daily Chronicle](https://bozemandailychronicle.com/wire/politics/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-florida-s-state-primary/article_897ef667-a168-5750-885f-3dfdf68d8a47.html) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/17/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [NBC Miami](https://nbcmiami.com/news/local/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary/3846772) — What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary/article_3fb40c2f-e907-5ada-985c-6c0342eb1b36.html) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/world/united-states/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary/article_e133ad28-1b02-5a30-af3a-c821b597ecda.html) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/news/world/united-states/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary/article_b1a49399-6530-5f02-b957-1afdf4f31a83.html) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/08/17/ap-decision-notes-what-to-expect-in-floridas-state-primary) — AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Florida’s state primary ## Questions **How many candidates are running for Florida governor?** Eleven Republicans and six Democrats are competing for the gubernatorial nomination in Florida’s 20 August 2026 primary. The Republican field includes Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins and U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, while the Democratic field is led by former Republican U.S. Representative David Jolly. **What is the impact of Florida’s new congressional map?** Florida’s redrawn congressional map, adopted in May 2026, eliminates four districts currently or most recently represented by Democrats. This forces Democratic incumbents like Kathy Castor and Darren Soto into Republican-friendly districts, increasing the likelihood of Republican gains in November. **Who is running for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat?** Republican Senator Ashley Moody is running for her party’s nomination with minimal opposition. Her Democratic opponent in November will be either state Representative Angie Nixon or retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, a key witness in Donald Trump’s first impeachment. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Florida primaries to replace DeSantis and fill Rubio Senate term", https://mediabias.news/politics/florida-primaries-to-replace-desantis-and-fill-rubio-senate-term