Jim Schwartzel (R) defeated nine other candidates in the Republican primary for Florida's 19th Congressional District on August 18, 2026. Schwartzel, Madison Cawthorn (R), Chris Collins (R), Ola Hawatmeh (R), Catalina Lauf (R), Jim Oberweis (R), and John Strand (R) led in fundraising, endorsements, and local media attention.
Incumbent Byron Donalds (R) ran for governor rather than seeking re-election. Florida Politics' Jacob Ogles said, "The winner of the Republican Primary in August will be a heavy favorite to win the Republican-heavy district. More than 69% of voters in the district, under a new map enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election while just 34% backed Democrat Kamala Harris." Ogles quoted Victory Insights pollster Ben Galbraith as saying in June 2026, "Schwartzel and Oberweis currently lead the pack, just barely breaking into the double digits. No other candidates scored higher than the mid-single digits. 54% of voters are undecided. I’ll spare you further details — this race is wide open."
Schwartzel was, as of the 2026 election, the owner and operator of 92.5 FOX News, a conservative talk radio station. Schwartzel's campaign website said he was "not a career politician with ambitions for higher office—like President Trump, he’s a straight-talking outsider who’s fed up with the D.C. swamp ignoring real Americans."
