Overview
- DeSantis, who spoke to reporters Friday, said he has not endorsed and does not support Rep. Cory Mills, marking a high-profile break with the incumbent before the Aug. 18 primary.
- Mills is under a long-running House Committee on Ethics inquiry that created an investigative subcommittee in November 2025 and is also reported to be the subject of a Justice Department probe.
- President Donald Trump endorsed Mills in February, but several Florida Republicans including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos have backed challenger Ryan Elijah, widening intra-party splits.
- Mills is the only incumbent in a four-way Republican primary and entered the final stretch with weak fundraising—about $81,000 cash on hand at the end of Q2—and a recent lawsuit over his ballot paperwork was dismissed.
- The loss of elite GOP support could tip the race and affect control of the district, and the Ethics inquiry could change if federal prosecutors press charges so voters and donors should watch for any DOJ action and further endorsements.