Cory Mills Loses Primary as He Faces Investigations Into His Behavior

The Florida Republican’s defeat ends a career in Congress defined by controversy.

admin August 19, 2026 3 minutes read

Embattled Rep. Cory Mills of Florida was projected to lose his reelection bid to a former local television news host amid a growing list of scandals and investigations that affected his standing within the House Republican Conference.

The Associated Press called the race Tuesday for Ryan Elijah, who had the backing of some members of the Florida congressional delegation and handily outraised the Mills in recent months.

The two-term congressman’s defeat ends a career in Congress that was defined by controversy. Mills is currently under criminal investigation by the Justice Department, which is looking into his personal and campaign finances, a source familiar told NOTUS.

He is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for a range of allegations, including domestic violence against his partner in his Washington, D.C., apartment, campaign-finance violations and accusations that his company held government contracts while he was a sitting member of Congress.

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Mills has remained defiant and denied the allegations and has said he has no knowledge of a DOJ investigation into him.

On top of these investigations, Mills has run into other issues throughout his years in Congress.

NOTUS first reported in 2025 about uncertainties surrounding Mills’ military service record. Five people who served with Mills in Iraq — including two men Mills is credited with saving on official military documents — said they have no recollection of Mills being involved in the incidents.

NOTUS also reported last year that Mills was caught with sex workers while on a rescue mission in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2021 when he was a congressional candidate. He appeared to travel on to Afghanistan separate from the rest of the group, who were enraged by Mills’ behavior given the sensitive nature of the mission, sources told NOTUS.

The controversy surrounding Mills got so intense that even some of his own Republican colleagues sought to expel him from Congress. Some members of the Florida delegation, led by Rep. Mike Haridopolos, endorsed Elijah over him.

Mills also struggled to raise money — he brought in only $59,000 in the second quarter of the year, according to Federal Election Commission numbers, and only had $81,000 on hand.