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Florida primary election results live: Governor race

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2026 Elections
Published August 18, 2026 6:00 PM EDT
Published August 18, 2026 6:00 PM EDT
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The Brief

    • The Florida primary election is today, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026.
    • Polls are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. local time. Shortly after polls close, initial election results will be released.
    • One of the top races being watched is for Florida governor as Gov. Ron DeSantis is term limited. His term ends in January 2027.
    • Experts believe the race to largely be between Bryon Donalds (R), Lt. Gov Jay Collins (R), Paul Renner (R), James Fishback (R), and David Jolly (D). 

Florida voters head to the polls on Tuesday to vote in the state’s primary election to determine who will face-off against each other in November to be the next governor of the Sunshine State.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has served two terms and cannot run for a third because of term limits. His current term ends in January 2027.

When are election results released?

Timeline:

Polls in Florida are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. local time (parts of the Florida Panhandle fall under Central Time). Shortly after polls close, initial election results will be released.

Live election results: Florida governor race

Nearly a dozen Republican candidates qualified for the Florida primary. Though experts said the race was largely between Bryon Donalds, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, Paul Renner (R), and James Fishback (R).

On the Democratic side, a half-dozen candidates qualified: David Jolly, a former Republican member of Congress; Evelyn-Castillo-Bach, Thomas Eloy Fernandez, Dayna Marie Foster, Dotie Joseph, and Stephann Norman.

The Source: Live election results are from the Associated Press and the Florida Division of Elections.

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