Republican candidates secured major victories across Florida during the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, maintaining GOP dominance in statewide executive offices while voters split on a series of consequential ballot amendments, according to election projections published by CBS News. The outcomes cement conservative governance for the upcoming legislative term, though several high-profile local races remained too close to call as local election supervisors continued processing ballots late into the night.
At the top of the ticket, Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the gubernatorial race to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis, making history as the state’s next governor. Meanwhile, appointed U.S. Senator Ashley Moody secured a full term, defeating Democratic challenger Angie Nixon. In other statewide contests, incumbent Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson won reelection, while James Uthmeier secured his first full term as state attorney general.
Ballot Amendments Meet Mixed Fate
While executive offices stayed firmly in Republican hands, Florida voters rejected two major constitutional changes tracked closely by fiscal analysts. The Associated Press reported that voters turned down Amendment 1, which would have increased the maximum size of the state’s rainy day fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections and mandated annual transfers of up to $750 million. Voters also rejected Amendment 2, which sought to exempt qualifying tangible personal property used for agriculture and agritourism from local property taxes.
Conversely, voters approved Amendment 3, paving the way for sweeping property tax cuts aimed at residential homeowners. At the municipal level, Miami voters rejected Referendum 3, halting an $80-per-million private redevelopment plan for the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas on Virginia Key. However, Miami residents approved a separate $450 million public safety bond authorization.
Tight Legislative and Congressional Contests
Control over specific legislative seats saw shifting margins. In Miami-Dade County, Democratic candidate Lucia Báez-Geller unseated incumbent Republican Fabian Basabe in House District 106, while Democrat Gloria Romero Roses captured the open House District 113 seat. School tax referendums in Miami-Dade and Broward counties successfully renewed property levies for another four years to fund teacher salaries and security.
Meanwhile, federal legislative margins remained tense. Two South Florida contests—Congressional District 26 featuring Republican Mario Diaz-Balart and Democrat Nicole Locklin, and Congressional District 27 pitting Republican Maria Elvira Salazar against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez—remained too close to call. Democratic candidate Eliott Rodriguez urged patience late Tuesday, noting that narrow margins of a few hundred votes could require official recounts before final certification.