President Donald Trump’s endorsement was not enough to carry Catalina Lauf to victory on Tuesday night in Florida’s crowded Republican primary for the congressional seat being vacated by Representative Byron Donalds. Jim Schwartzel, a conservative media executive, won the GOP nomination Tuesday in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, defeating Lauf and a field that included former Representatives Madison Cawthorn and Chris Collins. The called the race for Schwartzel on Tuesday night at 8:03 p.m.
Lauf received Trump’s endorsement late in the primary campaign. Trump promoted her candidacy on Truth Social as he sought to help his preferred candidate succeed Donalds, who left the safely Republican House seat to pursue the GOP nomination for governor. Lauf had previously run unsuccessfully for Congress in Illinois before moving to Florida.
Newsweek reached out to Lauf's campaign via email on Tuesday night for comment. Trump formally backed Lauf in a post to Truth Social last week saying in part, "As a former Presidential Appointee at the U.S. Department of Commerce in my First Administration, Catalina has proven she has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of her State and Nation — She has truly been with us from the beginning!" Schwartzel ultimately emerged as the winner with roughly 29 percent of the vote as of 9:58 p.m.
ET, while Lauf was in second place with about 22 percent. The result represents a setback for Trump’s endorsement, particularly because Florida’s 19th District is heavily Republican and the GOP nominee is considered overwhelmingly favored to win the seat in November. Donalds won the district with about 66 percent of the vote in 2024.
Donalds won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday with Trump’s backing and will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in November. With both races now set, Florida Republicans will head into the general election seeking to maintain their dominant position in the state while Donalds attempts to move from Congress to the governor’s mansion. This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
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