The Republican who saved Ilhan Omar's committee seats just got booted by his own voters.
Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, the GOP congressman whose deciding ballot kept the controversial Squad member on her congressional committees, suffered a stunning primary defeat on Tuesday in the state's 7th District. As reported, Ryan Elijah, a former FOX 35 news anchor from the Orlando area who also worked as an NFL sideline reporter, toppled Mills in what amounted to a political earthquake.
Here's where it gets really juicy. Mills had a late endorsement from President Trump himself, one of the most coveted stamps of approval in all of Republican politics. He was sitting on comfortable leads in multiple polls heading into election night. And he STILL lost. That's how badly the wheels fell off this guy's campaign.
So what happened? Well, Mills is currently under investigation by both federal authorities and the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual harassment. That kind of baggage tends to weigh a candidate down, even one carrying Trump's golden seal of approval.
The knives had been out for Mills within his own party for months. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina emerged as one of his fiercest GOP critics, spearheading a bipartisan push to censure him. Mace even floated the idea of pursuing his outright expulsion from the House before eventually stepping back from that nuclear option. She threw her weight behind Elijah's challenge instead.
Florida Republican Reps. Mike Haridopolos and Anna Paulina Luna piled on earlier this month, both endorsing Elijah in what became a coordinated Republican revolt against one of their own colleagues. Mills, a military veteran, leaned heavily on the Trump endorsement throughout his campaign, but it simply was not enough to overcome the storm of controversy swirling around him.
The irony is almost too perfect. The guy who threw a lifeline to Ilhan Omar, keeping her positioned on powerful committees when his own party wanted her removed, now finds himself without a political lifeline of his own. Karma arrived on a Tuesday in Florida, and she did not come bearing gifts.
In other Florida primary action, Luna locked down her own Republican nomination in the 13th Congressional District without opposition. The Air Force veteran, first elected in 2022, has Trump's enthusiastic backing heading into the general election. Trump called her "a true MAGA Warrior" and gave her his "Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election." Local leaders in Pinellas County rallied behind her as well, with Commissioner Kathleen Peters praising Luna for consistently prioritizing her district.
Luna's personal story is compelling in its own right. Born in California in 1989, she overcame family challenges including her father's battles with substance abuse. She served in the Air Force from 2009 to 2018 as an airfield management specialist and earned the Air Force Achievement Medal. After leaving the military, she worked with Turning Point USA on Hispanic engagement and led Hispanic initiatives at PragerU.
As for Mills? January will mark the end of his congressional career. Whether he ever stages a political comeback remains to be seen, but for now, the man who protected Ilhan Omar is heading home.
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