Democratic socialist notches surprise win in Florida Senate primary: 5 takeaways  

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The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 18, 2026

The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 18, 2026

A progressive scored an unexpected upset in Florida’s Democratic primary for Senate, a left-wing breakthrough in President Trump’s home state that tees up a tough, GOP-favored fight this fall.  

Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) but was not endorsed by the national organization, toppled Alex Vindman, whose star rose as a witness in Trump’s 2019 impeachment hearings, in one of the cycle’s most unexpected primary results. She’ll face off in November against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody for the final two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Senate term.  

But it wasn’t all good news for progressives in the Sunshine State. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) easily fended off DSA-backed Oliver Larkin in a critical toss-up House district, while Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) prevailed over a progressive rival in a crowded primary for a newly reshaped, plurality-Black seat.  

Meanwhile, two of Trump’s picks for the House lost their primaries: Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), whose campaign was dogged by controversy, and GOP contender Catalina Lauf, who was vying for Rep. Byron Donalds’s seat. Donalds, with Trump’s support, notched the Republican nod to succeed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).  

Voters also weighed in on Tuesday in Wyoming, where it’s the first time in three decades that the red state has open seats for governor, Senate and House at once. And in Alaska, competitive races for Senate and the Last Frontier’s lone House seat were still taking shape early Wednesday morning.  

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s primary contest:  

Nixon delivers victory to far left with Vindman upset  

Nixon’s over Vindman in Florida is a huge boon for democratic socialists after a major defeat in Wisconsin last week. Yet, the Democratic nominee has sought to downplay her DSA ties.  

“Look, we can argue all day about people’s labels, but at the end of the day, I care about the needs of people,” she told NBC News when asked about joining the group, arguing she’s focused on “people-centered politics.”  

Nixon’s campaign confirmed to The Hill Tuesday that the Florida state lawmaker is a DSA member as well as part of the Working Families Party, SEIU labor union and the Democratic Party. 

Nixon’s win marks the first time that a democratic socialist won a Democratic primary for Senate or governor this cycle. Democratic socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary last week. 

Decision Desk HQ had underestimated Nixon— who received endorsements from progressives like Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — so much so that their polling averages only included Vindman-Moody matchups.  

Vindman in a statement congratulated Nixon on her........

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