Florida’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday offered a pretty clear look at the divide running through the party, and Republicans will likely be happy to see it heading into November.
In South Florida’s 25th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz easily defeated Barry Larkin, a challenger backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Moskowitz won 63.5 percent of the vote to Larkin’s 36.5 percent, giving him plenty of room afterward to take a shot at the socialist group.
“Florida is known for hurricanes,” Moskowitz told Politico’s Playbook after the result came in. “And so the DSA is a disaster area in Florida — and there’s no federal reimbursement coming to help these people.”
But elsewhere in the state, Democrats got a very different result.
“I REJECT SOCIALISM:” Florida Democrat gubernatorial nominee David Jolly distances himself from the DSA member at the top of his ticket, Senate Democrat nominee Angie Nixon pic.twitter.com/kNognYxvSQ
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) August 19, 2026
State Rep. Angie Nixon, who joined the DSA this year, defeated Alex Vindman in the Democratic Senate primary by a surprisingly comfortable margin, 56.1 percent to 43.9 percent. Vindman entered the race with significantly more money and stronger backing from the Democratic establishment, but neither advantage was enough to carry him across the finish line.
Vindman became a national political figure during President Donald Trump’s first term because of his role in the events surrounding Trump’s first impeachment. That history, along with his establishment support, gave the race a higher profile than a typical Florida Democratic primary.
Nixon, meanwhile, has long been associated with the party’s progressive wing. In 2023, shortly after Hamas attacked Israel and killed roughly 1,200 people, Nixon sponsored a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. The Florida House rejected the resolution 104-2, showing how far outside the political mainstream the proposal was at the time, even among many Democrats.
FLORIDA PRIMARY UPSET: Democratic Socialist Angie Nixon scored a stunning double-digit upset over Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary, setting up a general election clash against Republican Senator Ashley Moody.
Elsewhere across the Sunshine State, veteran… pic.twitter.com/VEHRjPk8Y3
— Special Report (@SpecialReport) August 19, 2026
That issue also highlights the contrast between Nixon and Moskowitz.
Moskowitz is Jewish, strongly supports Israel and has repeatedly criticized antisemitism within his own party. During the Biden administration, he publicly challenged then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over remarks he believed minimized concerns about rising antisemitism.
He has also shown a willingness to break with Democrats when he thinks the situation calls for it. Moskowitz defended Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis during the controversy surrounding a “60 Minutes” report that DeSantis and his supporters described as misleading.
That does not make Moskowitz a conservative. He remains firmly Democratic and has frequently gone after Republicans, sometimes theatrically. At one point, he even dressed as Russian President Vladimir Putin while criticizing Republicans investigating Hunter Biden.
The larger point is that Democrats are increasingly being pulled between two very different political camps. One includes more traditional liberals such as Moskowitz, while the other includes candidates aligned with the DSA and a much more aggressive progressive agenda.
Tuesday’s Florida results showed that neither side has complete control.
The DSA has scored notable primary victories in several states this election cycle, including New York, Michigan and Colorado. But its candidates have also suffered losses, and Florida may prove to be particularly difficult territory.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz beats DSA-backed primary challenger in redrawn Florida district https://t.co/ayrnuKld1b pic.twitter.com/OaWibiY4zc
— New York Post (@nypost) August 18, 2026
Nixon’s Senate victory gives the socialist wing of the Democratic Party another high-profile nominee, but winning the general election is another matter entirely. Florida has shifted sharply toward Republicans in recent election cycles, and Republican Sen. Ashley Moody will enter the November race with a major structural advantage.
Moody was appointed to the Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio after Rubio became secretary of state. If she defeats Nixon by a wide margin, Moskowitz will have an easy argument that Democratic socialism remains a poor fit for Florida’s statewide electorate.
The divide is also creating problems for Democrats trying to run statewide while holding together the party’s competing factions.
David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who won the Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, demonstrated that balancing act in his response to Nixon’s victory.
“I reject the DSA,” Jolly said. “I reject socialism. I’m a capitalist. I think capitalism provides the greatest amount of economic mobility.”
At the same time, he praised Nixon personally.
“I have been with Angie on the trail and I tell you this, she’s a fighter,” he said. “She leaves it all on the field.”
Then he returned to the ideological distinction.
“I reject socialism. I’m a capitalist. We’ll see how Florida voters sort that out.”
That may be the question hanging over Florida Democrats after Tuesday night. Their voters are clearly divided over what direction the party should take, and those arguments are no longer happening quietly behind the scenes. They are playing out directly at the ballot box.
For Republicans, that division could become an advantage in November. A party fighting over its own identity has a harder time presenting a unified message to general-election voters, particularly in a state that has already moved strongly toward the GOP.
