Video SEE IT: Mills denies alleged DOJ investigation, claims political opponent is behind it Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., is denying allegations from a source familiar to Fox News that the Justice Department is investigating him, claiming a Florida Republican primary opponent is behind it. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)
President Donald Trump's endorsement was not enough to save one scandal-plagued Florida congressman on Tuesday night, as the 2026 primary season took the head of yet another House incumbent.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., lost his bid for a third term representing the Sunshine State's 7th Congressional District as a House Ethics Committee investigation and alleged federal probe weighed down his candidacy.
The winner in the race was Ryan Elijah, a former Orlando-area news anchor for FOX 35 and a one-time NFL sideline reporter who.
WATCH: CORY MILLS BLASTS DOJ PROBE AS ‘POLITICAL OP' AHEAD OF FLORIDA PRIMARY
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on April 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. The House Ethics Committee is investigating Mills for allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations. Mills is denying any wrongdoing and said he will not step down. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Elijah lives in Seminole County with his wife where they pair raised their two adult sons, according to his campaign website.
The win is undoubtedly an upset victory against Mills, who held a sizable lead in multiple polls leading up to primary night and earned the most important and coveted endorsement in GOP politics.
But the effort to oust Mills from Congress has lasted months, and was ultimately successful.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., led a failed bipartisan effort to censure Mills and threatened to push for his expulsion, though she later backed off the latter measure. She also endorsed Elijah's bid against the Florida lawmaker.
Earlier this month, Reps. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced they were also endorsing Elijah over Mills in a race for the seat in their home state.
Mills, a military veteran, referenced his Trump endorsement several times on the campaign trail as he downplayed scandals plaguing his bid to keep his job.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER WELCOMES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE INTO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM
Rep. Mike Haridopolos leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on June 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mills is the latest in a strong of House Republicans to fall amid scandals in recent months.
Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., dropped his re-election bid in the wake of an explosive House Ethics Committee report that accused him of harassing two young female staffers.
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House Democrats also targeted Mills as a potential vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterms. It's not clear if they will put the same focus on Elijah now that he ousted the embattled congressman.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
