Florida’s Deep-Red 19th District GOP Primary Becomes ‘Carpetbagger’ Showdown Among Scandal-Riddled Candidates
The August 18 Republican primary for Florida’s 19th Congressional District features a crowded field, including two disgraced former congressmen and several out-of-state hopefuls.
The open GOP primary on August 18 for Florida’s 19th Congressional District has drawn national attention for its chaotic roster of candidates. Two former members of Congress—Madison Cawthorn, who left office after a single term, and Chris Collins, pardoned after a federal conviction—are competing alongside entrepreneur Catalina Lauf, who previously sought a House seat in Illinois. The field also includes talk-radio station owner Jim Schwartzel, former Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis, and former Jan. 6 defendant John Strand, among others.
A Victory Insights poll released Friday places Lauf and Schwartzel in a dead-heat at 19% each, with Oberweis at 12% and Collins at 8%. The race is open because incumbent Rep. Byron Donalds is pursuing the Florida governorship, and the district gave Donald Trump a 30-point margin in the 2024 presidential election. Lauf, backed by the Freedom Caucus Fund, Turning Point Action, and several congressional allies, has framed the contest as a fight against perceived establishment carpetbaggers.
Why it matters
The outcome will determine who represents a reliably Republican district and could signal how voters respond to scandal-tainted candidates.
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