Trump-Endorsed Candidate Loses In Jam-Packed Primary
Businessman Jim Schwartzel defeated former Commerce Department official Catalina Lauf, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, in Tuesday's ten-candidate GOP primary.
Businessman Jim Schwartzel defeated former Commerce Department official Catalina Lauf, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, in Tuesday’s ten-candidate GOP primary for a Florida House seat.
Schwartzel narrowly defeated Lauf — who ran for Congress in Illinois twice before — after receiving endorsements from Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and former Southwest Florida lawmakers Connie Mack III and Connie Mack IV. Trump supported Lauf, who worked in his first administration for several months in 2018.
The race to represent Florida’s 19th Congressional District consisted of ten candidates, including former Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn and former Republican New York Rep. Chris Collins. Cawthorn served a single House term from 2021 to 2023 and was the youngest member of Congress at the time.
Schwartzel won 29.2% of the vote in the crowded primary to Lauf’s 21.8%, with both Cawthorn and Collins trailing behind in single digits, according to the Associated Press. A native Floridian, Schwartzel notably defeated five candidates who had previously ran for Congress in other states including Lauf, Cawthorn and Collins.
Due to the district’s strong Republican lean, Schwartzel is the heavy favorite to succeed outgoing Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who won the GOP primary for Florida governor on Tuesday.
During his sole term, Cawthorn was caught bringing a loaded gun to an airport and was cited for driving with a revoked license. Photographers published by Politico showed him wearing lingerie