Jacob Ogles
In a contest Democrats have their eye on heading into 2026, congressional challenger Noah Widmann outraised Republican U.S. Rep. Cory Mills in the second quarter.
The Winter Park Democrat’s campaign announced it raised over $254,000 since launching in May. Meanwhile, raw filings from Mills’ campaign show he raised $253,000, just slightly less.
Of course, Mills, a two-term Congressman, has been raising money all year, and has raised upward of $537,000 in the election cycle to date. But he also has steadily spent funds.
The incumbent closed the quarter with more than $148,000 in cash on hand, while Widmann holds around $123,000.
Importantly, Mills’ campaign earlier this year reported more than $2 million in debt. Quiver Quantitative estimates Mills’ net worth at greater than $24 million, based on financial disclosures.
“Central Florida is ready for a new direction,” Widmann said. “Our campaign is powered by everyday Floridians who want to come together, solve real problems, and ensure everyone in our district has a voice in Washington.”
The fundraising report comes as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee turns its sights on Mills this cycle. The political arm of House Democrats listed Florida’s 7th Congressional District among its GOP-held “Districts in Play.” The party has also started independently raising money for the ultimate Democratic nominee.
Widmann must still win the title. He faces two Primary opponents, Jennifer Adams and Marialana Kinter, for the nomination, which will be decided in August 2026.
But Kinter has raised less than $9,000 for her run, based on her second-quarter filing.
Adams’ latest report was not immediately available, but she raised under $2,000. She was the Democratic nominee against Mills last year, when the incumbent won re-election with almost 58% of the vote. Adams raised just over $277,000 over the entire course of the 2024 cycle.
Widmann is on track to quickly pass that fundraising mark already. He also appears on the brink of raising more than any Democrat running in the district since the redistricting process in 2022 made the seat more Republican friendly.
Mills in 2022 flipped the seat red after Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy chose not to seek re-election. This marks the first time since then that Democrats have promised to marshal national force behind a candidate.
Meanwhile, Mills has drawn scrutiny, much of it around his personal dealings and life. The House Ethics Committee has an ongoing investigation into allegations that defense contractors where Mills owns a stake have benefited from his work in Congress.
A woman living in Mills’ Washington apartment also called police earlier this year alleging an assault, though she later said the matter was a misunderstanding. The landlord for the same Washington apartment last week filed legal action against Mills over failure to pay rent, something Mills has attributed to problems with an online payment system.
