The heat between prominent Republican candidates for Florida’s 7th Congressional District (FL CD 7) continues to ramp up less than three weeks into the primary election, as candidate Ryan Elijah and incumbent Congressman Cory Mills (R-Fla.) exchange words on social media.
Rep. Mills fired back at Elijah’s recent post showing the results of a Casselberry Straw Poll indicating the former “Orlando Matters” host leading in votes.
Casselberry Straw Poll Shows Elijah As Leading Republican
Results of the poll showed Elijah at the top with 72 points compared to Rep. Mills sitting in 4th place, behind two Democratic candidates, with 20 points.
According to Elijah, the votes were overseen by the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections; the poll included all the Congressional candidates for FL CD 7; and each attendee was granted one vote.
Mills Questions Elijah's Inter-county Poll Numbers
“Hey Ryan, why didn’t you say this on the last two Volusia chambers? Even one I never showed up to or had staff. These are also run by Supervisor of Elections,” Rep. Mills questioned Elijah.
“I guess you don’t like announcing all the ones you lose and don’t pack with staff. This shows you’ve seen the polls and know how far down you are,” the incumbent Congressman asserted.
Elijah Warns Mills Of Primary Outcome
“I’m glad you asked. Here they are. Daytona result was 36-35, you won by a single vote. And you were there, you know I had just my [Campaign Manager] with me. Deltona was 25-20,” Elijah snapped back.
“If you think last night was stacked, you have a big surprise coming August 18th,” the Sanford Republican warned.
Mills' Affirms Poll Numbers Don't Phase Him
Congressman Mills, however, didn’t let the challenger’s response bring him down, urging Elijah to humble himself.
“I lost every straw poll but one in 2022. How well did that work out for the guy who bragged about straw polls? You might want to run a real poll [because] we will be releasing the results of [National Republican Congressional Committee] and our polls soon. Get ready to humble yourself. There’s a reason President Trump has endorsed me 3 times,” Rep. Mills affirmed.
The Floridian Publisher Javier Manjarres will moderate the only debate among Mills, Elijah, and two other candidates. The event will take place on August 5th.
Florida’s primary election is set to be held on Aug. 18, 2026.
