Florida media executive Jim Schwartzel won the GOP nomination to succeed Rep.Byron Donalds despite President Donald Trump endorsing his opponent.President Donald Trump endorsed Catalina Lauf, who served in the Department of Commerce during his first term in office, on August 13, upending the race just days before voters headed to the polls in Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
Tuesday night’s results bucked a trend of Trump-endorsed candidates fairing well in primary contests.As of mid-July, 97% of candidates endorsed by the president had won their primaries.Trump’s endorsement success rate has remained at 93% or higher since 2018, according to Ballotpedia’s election tracker.TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWNCatalina Lauf, left, pictured next to Jim Schwartzel, right. (David J.
Griffin/Icon Sportswire; Schwartzel for Congress)Lauf and Schwartzel weren’t the only ones to throw their hats into the race to be Donalds’ successor.The field in Florida’s 19th Congressional District also included former Rep.Madison Cawthorn, who lost his North Carolina seat after a series of scandals in 2022; former Rep.
Chris Collins, a former New York congressman convicted of insider trading; and Jim Oberweis, a wealthy former Illinois state senator.The unusual cast of characters running in the election attracted amusement and ridicule from the national media.Axios dubbed the race "the GOP's carpetbagger primary" and wrote that "whoever claws their way through the circus-like primary is almost guaranteed a ticket to Washington."TLAIB UNDER FIRE FOR WORKING TO UNSEAT TWO JEWISH HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN FLORIDAU.S.
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Aug.9, 2026 at Morristown Airport in Morristown, N.J.
(Eric Lee/Getty Images)On the campaign trail, Schwartzel attacked Lauf for running for Congress twice in Illinois before recently moving to Florida, arguing that his ties to the state ran deeper than hers.Lauf r...