# Florida Primary Results: Donalds vs Jolly for Governor
*Key updates on Orlando races including Orange County Mayor runoff and School Board chair election results.*

- Medio: Orlando Ledger News (https://orlandoledgernews.com)
- URL: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/florida-primary-results-donalds-vs-jolly-for-governor
- Sección: Politics
- Autor: Orlando Ledger News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-08-23T07:10:25.185Z
> Florida held its primary on Aug 18, 2026. Key results include Donalds vs Jolly for Governor, a runoff for Orange County Mayor, and Angie Gallo elected School Board Chair.

## Las claves

- Byron Donalds won the GOP gubernatorial nomination against David Jolly
- Orange County Mayor race goes to November runoff between Moore Russell and Messina
- Angie Gallo wins Orange County School Board chair with 59% of vote

Florida held its primary election on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the state. Voters in Central Florida turned out at assigned polling locations, including sites like the Quay Church in Windermere and the Renaissance Senior Center in east Orlando, to determine nominees for key local and statewide offices. The election results set the stage for significant matchups in November, particularly in Orange County where several races will require runoff elections.

### Gubernatorial Race Heads to General Election

In a major development for Florida politics, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has secured the Republican nomination for governor. He is set to face former Rep. David Jolly, who won the Democratic nod. This matchup will determine who replaces outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds stated his goal is to become Florida’s first Black governor. Jolly, a former Republican congressman, switched parties last year.

Other statewide cabinet positions were also decided. Blaise Ingoglia won the Republican nomination for Chief Financial Officer, while Annette Taddeo took the Democratic spot. For Agriculture Commissioner, Wilton Simpson (R) and Joey Mendoza Atkins (D) advanced to the general election.

### Orange County Local Races

In Orange County, voters selected Angie Gallo as the next chair of the Orange County School Board. The incumbent District 1 member won with 59% of the vote against Alicia Farrant. Gallo was endorsed by local Democrats and teacher unions, while Farrant had conservative backing. Two new school board members were also elected, though one seat will go to a runoff in November, as we reported in [Florida Primary Results](/noticia/florida-primary-results-donalds-vs-jolly-for-governor).

The race for Orange County Mayor resulted in a runoff between Clerk of Court Tiffany Moore Russell and tech entrepreneur Chris Messina. Both beat out former Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, who finished third despite spending nearly $1.9 million on the primary. Contributions came from Walt Disney World, Avalon Park Developer Beat Kahli, Michael Bloomberg, and J. Hyatt Brown.

Roberta Walton Johnson won the Democratic nomination for Orange County Clerk of Court, defeating former Property Appraiser Rick Singh with 53% of the vote. She will replace outgoing boss Tiffany Moore Russell in November. Additionally, four Orange County Commission districts (2, 6, 7, and 8) went to runoffs after no candidate secured a majority, more details at [BBC](https://bbc.com).

### State House and Congressional Updates

In Florida’s 7th Congressional District, former Fox 35 news anchor Ryan Elijah won the Republican nomination for U.S. House, defeating incumbent Cory Mills. Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton in November. Mills faced scandals involving allegations of domestic violence from a former girlfriend, which he denies.

For the U.S. Senate seat, Angie Nixon defeated Alex Vindman 55-45% in the Democratic primary. Nixon, a progressive activist arrested for staging a sit-in at the governor’s office, ran a frugal campaign against Vindman, who had significant financial backing. She will face Republican incumbent Ashley Moody.

In State House District 47, Democrat Anthony Nieves was elected after Republican incumbent Paula Stark failed to qualify due to missing paperwork. The district covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties. Voters also cast ballots for various other local positions across the I-4 corridor as Central Florida prepares for the general election in November.
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Fuente original: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/florida-primary-results-donalds-vs-jolly-for-governor