LAKELAND, Fla.—A Trumpian firebrand, a former Florida secretary of state, and an Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran running in his first election are among Republicans advancing to likely victories in November elections for open seats in three central Florida congressional districts.
Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, edged two challengers to win the party’s nod in Tampa Bay-area Congressional District 13 while Cody Mills, a Trump-appointed Department of Defense (DOD) adviser, defeated seven rivals to win the Republican primary in suburban Orlando-area CD 7 in Florida’s Aug. 23 primaries.
Both seats are held by incumbent Democrats who are not seeking reelection, including Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who resigned from his CD 13 seat to run for governor. …