Florida Primary Outcome
Centrist Democrat Moskowitz Defeats DSA-Backed Challenger in Florida's Key Primary
Key Points
Moskowitz won the Democratic primary with about 66.7% of the vote to Oliver Larkin's 33.3%, with more than 95% of the votes counted.
DSA endorsed Larkin in this race—the endorsement represented the organization’s first federal endorsement in the 2026 cycle.
Larkin’s platform included Medicare for All, a $25 federal minimum wage, and abolishing ICE, and he argued for more bold left-wing policies, including calls to abolish the U.S. Senate.
Moskowitz has a bipartisan background, having served as Florida’s director of emergency management under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, and he frames himself as a dealmaker who can work with Republicans.
Geography and competitiveness: the newly redrawn district runs along the Atlantic coast, spanning parts of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties; it voted for President Trump in 2024 and is widely viewed as a toss-up/battleground seat.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz crushed DSA-backed challenger Oliver Larkin in Florida's 25th Congressional District Democratic primary, winning about 66.7% of the vote to Larkin's 33.3%, according to KSL. The result moves Moskowitz into a November race widely seen as a toss-up — one of the most competitive House seats in the country.
The newly redrawn district stretches along Florida's southeast coast through parts of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. It voted for President Trump in 2024, making Moskowitz's path to reelection steep, Head Topics reported.
DSA's First 2026 Federal Endorsement Falls Short
The Democratic Socialists of America backed Larkin in what was the group's first federal endorsement of the 2026 cycle. Larkin ran on a bold left-wing platform: Medicare for All, a $25 federal minimum wage, abolishing ICE, and even abolishing the U.S. Senate. Head Topics noted the result suggests a lower ceiling for socialists in Democratic primaries held in competitive swing districts.
Larkin also called for abolishing prisons and pulled no punches on Gaza, accusing Israel of genocide. That stance put him directly against Moskowitz, a vocal pro-Israel voice in Congress. Columbus Jewish News reported that both Moskowitz and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz beat back challengers who had made similar accusations against Israel.
Moskowitz Bets on Bipartisanship in a Trump-Friendly District
Moskowitz framed himself as a dealmaker, not an ideologue. He served as Florida's director of emergency management under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — a credential he leaned on to show he can work across party lines. He argued that independents and Republicans fed up with Washington dysfunction would back a pragmatic Democrat over a rigid partisan.
That pitch matters in a district Trump carried in 2024. Analysts have called the seat a true toss-up, according to KSL. Moskowitz's ability to appeal beyond the Democratic base could be the deciding factor come November.
Redrawn Map Makes Florida's 25th a House Battleground
The 25th District is newly drawn, running along Florida's Atlantic coast and pulling together parts of Boca Raton, Broward County, and Miami-Dade. The redraw stripped away safer Democratic turf and replaced it with more Republican-leaning areas. Head Topics described it as a key battleground for control of the House in 2026.
With the seat rated a toss-up, every vote will count. Moskowitz now has to pivot quickly from a primary fight on his left flank to a general election battle from the right. His bipartisan record and local name recognition are his biggest assets heading into November, Americas Voice reported.
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