Biography
Ryan Elijah is the Republican nominee for the open Florida 7th Congressional District seat. A longtime television news anchor, most recently at FOX 35 Orlando, he left that job in 2026 to run and won the August 18 Republican primary over incumbent Rep. Cory Mills. According to his campaign website, he is running on lower taxes, reduced federal spending, support for law enforcement and school choice.[1][2][3][4]
Elijah earned a bachelor's degree from Anderson University in 1994 and went on to work as a television news anchor. His most recent position was at FOX 35 Orlando, which he left in April 2026 to run for Congress.[2][3] According to his candidate survey, he served as a public figure in the community for 14 years, and he and his wife raised their sons in the district.[2][3]
Elijah says he comes from a military family; his campaign website says his father and grandfather both served. He describes himself as active in his church, and his campaign website lists him as pro-life and a supporter of the Second Amendment.[2] He announced his candidacy on April 28, 2026, and won the August 18, 2026, Republican primary, defeating incumbent Rep. Cory Mills.[3][4]
- 1.Florida's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Ryan Elijah - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 3.Rep. Cory Mills faces new Republican challenger for Florida's 7th District · FOX 35 Orlando · 2026-04-28 News report
- 4.Ryan Elijah wins Republican primary over Cory Mills for U.S. House District 7 · WKMG ClickOrlando · 2026-08-19 News report
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.