Primary elections 2026 live updates: Byron Donalds makes no mention of Trump in victory speech after winning Florida GOP gov race

Polls in most of Alaska closed at midnight, where incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is facing former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and a different “Dan Sullivan” in a closely watched Senate primary election.

One polling location in the Aleutian Islands closes at 1 a.m. ET.

Rep. Harret Hageman (R-Wyo.), who made headlines in 2022 when she ousted Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming’s House primary, took another step toward higher office Tuesday.

Hageman, 63, was projected to easily defeat former Kirby Mayor Sam Mead to win the Republican nomination for Senate after Cynthia Lummis declined to seek a second term.

In the Democratic primary, former state Rep. James Byrd secured the nomination with a convincing win over local landscaper Billy Benavidez.

Hageman will be a heavy favorite in the Nov. 3 general election. Wyoming last elected a Democratic senator in 1970.

President Trump-endorsed candidates don’t lose many contested primaries, but Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder proved to be a rare exception Tuesday night, losing to state Sen. Eric Barlow in the gubernatorial primary.

With just over one-quarter of the estimated vote in, Barlow led Degenfelder by 16 percentage points, a wide enough gap for the Associated Press to call the race.

Barlow will face Democrat Ken Casner, who previously sought this office in 2002 and 2018. On both those occasions, he lost in the primary — but this time, Casner ran unopposed.

President Trump has posted on Truth Social in response to impeachment witness Alexander Vindman’s upset loss to DSA state Rep. Angie Nixon in Florida’s special Democratic Senate primary.

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“SleazeBag Vindman loses tonight to a Radical Left Lunatic. How cool is that???” reacted Trump, who added in a subsequent post: “A lot of great WINS tonight!!!”

Rep. Byron Donalds did not mention President Trump in his victory speech Tuesday night after winning the Republican nomination for governor of Florida. 

Donalds touted several of the president’s signature achievements during his 20-minute-long remarks, but  didn’t acknowledge Trump or thank him for the endorsements. 

“As a member of Congress, I fought for your federal taxes to be cut — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and the largest tax cut on Social Security in this country’s history,” Donalds said, referring to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Trump signed into law last summer. 

“That’s real money back in your pockets, in the pockets of Florida workers and Florida’s retirees,” he continued. “And as your governor, I will continue to fight to make sure you keep more of your hard-earned money.” 

He also pledged to “DOGE all local governments and all state agencies” to root out waste, fraud and abuse — an initiative championed by Trump and later, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.  

Donalds started his remarks by thanking God, his supporters and “the most important people in my life,” namely his wife and their three sons. 

“Thank you, guys, for standing by my side during the long days and the late nights on the trail. I love you guys. I love you,” he said. 

Afterward, Donalds told reporters he’s grateful for the support from Trump but won’t lean on it in a general election campaign.

“Obviously, he has the strongest following of anybody in our party,” Donalds said, according to the Associated Press. “You start with that.” 

But, he added, “You can’t just sit back and think the president’s endorsement is going to carry you.”

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Donalds said he’s talked with Trump about that and “the president knows this.”