Madison Cawthorn (R), Chris Collins (R), Ola Hawatmeh (R), Catalina Lauf (R), Jim Oberweis (R), Jim Schwartzel (R), and six other candidates are running in the Republican primary for Florida's 19th Congressional District on August 18, 2026. As of June 2026, Cawthorn, Collins, Hawatmeh, Lauf, Oberweis, and Schwartzel led in fundraising, endorsements, and local media attention.
Incumbent Byron Donalds (R) is running 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."
Cawthorn was elected to represent North Carolina's 11th Congressional District in 2020. He lost the 2022 Republican primary to Chuck Edwards (R). In a campaign ad, Cawthorn said, "When I was in Washington, I warned you about a deep culture of corruption. People laughed. They mocked me. They said I was wrong. ... But today, I stand completely vindicated. I've never asked the establishment permission to tell the truth. I work only for you."
