Republican Rep. Cory Mills is running for reelection in Florida while facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he assaulted a former girlfriend last year and violated campaign finance rules. Mills has denied any wrongdoing. NPR sought comment from his office but received no response.
Mills is campaigning with signs that prominently read “Trump Endorsed.” Former President Donald Trump did endorse him in February, but Mills was left off several endorsement lists Trump shared on social media in the run-up to the GOP primary. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly said he has not endorsed Mills and does not support him. Mills’ campaign lists roughly a dozen House Republican endorsements on its website.
The main Republican challenger is former local TV anchor Ryan Elijah, who has been endorsed by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos. Other GOP primary contenders include real estate agent Sarah Ulrich and Department of Defense employee and Army veteran Michael Don Johnson.
The 7th Congressional District stretches across central Florida from the northern Orlando suburbs to the coast south of Daytona Beach, with Sanford near the district’s center. Voters there expressed mixed views at the polls: Patrick Austin praised Mills for bringing resources to the area, saying, “He delivers for our district.” Tiffany Davis worried Mills’ controversies could cost the seat to Democrats: “I think he has a lot of issues… I just don’t think I can chance it.”
Scandals surrounding Mills have made the seat less certain for Republicans. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the district from “solid red” to “likely red,” and Democrats are treating the race as competitive. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is backing Bale Dalton, a 24-year Navy veteran and former NASA chief of staff. Also running on the Democratic side is former Rep. Alan Grayson, who previously served in Congress from Florida.
The outcome of the primary and how the Ethics Committee inquiry proceeds will shape whether Republicans can hold the district in the general election. For now, Mills remains on the ballot while the investigation continues and he continues to deny the allegations.
