Republican Jim Schwartzel won Florida’s 19th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Victor Arias in a race that was widely expected to stay in Republican hands after U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds left the seat to run for governor. The Associated Press called the race for Schwartzel, president of Sun Broadcasting, shortly after 7 p.m.

Unofficial results showed him leading Arias by roughly 18 to 20 points in the district, which covers coastal Lee and Collier counties, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, and Bonita Springs. With a large share of early and vote-by-mail ballots counted, Schwartzel stood near 58–60 percent in both counties. Independent candidate Seth Haskin received about 1 percent.

The seat became open when Donalds, who has represented the district since 2021, launched a gubernatorial campaign. Donalds won the Republican primary for governor in August and is favored against Democrat David Jolly in the general election. Florida’s 19th District has long been solidly Republican; Donald Trump carried it by about 30 points in 2024, and nonpartisan ratings organizations consistently labeled the House race Solid or Safe Republican.

Schwartzel’s path ran through a crowded and costly August Republican primary with 10 candidates. He finished first with 29.1 percent of the vote, ahead of Catalina Lauf, a conservative influencer and former Trump administration official whom Trump had endorsed, at 22.0 percent. Former Illinois state senator Jim Oberweis placed third at 15.7 percent. The field also included former U.S. Reps. Madison Cawthorn and Chris Collins.

Schwartzel raised about $2.8 million, including roughly $1.46 million of his own money, and spent most of it on the primary. Other candidates self-funded heavily as well—Oberweis reported raising more than $5 million, nearly all from personal loans—making it one of the more expensive House primaries in Florida. After winning the nomination, Schwartzel received endorsements from both Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Arias, a Cape Coral attorney, won the Democratic primary and campaigned on household costs, clean water and environmental issues, infrastructure, and bipartisan approaches. He raised under $70,000, a fraction of the money spent on the Republican side. In a district with a strong Republican lean, the general election was not considered competitive after the primary.

Results remain unofficial until certified by the state but Schwartzel is expected to take office in January 2027.