Florida Republicans pick sides in a wild 10-way House primary

• But in a 10-way race in which a candidate could win with less than 20% of the vote, even a small edge could translate into a member's pin next January.
• Five candidates have previously run for Congress in other states. Two have served in Congress. One, former Rep. Chris Collins, pleaded guilty to a felony and was pardoned by Trump.
• The winner will be heavily favored to succeed Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor.

Driving the news: Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), who represents a neighboring district, and Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), whose district is farther north, are backing Lauf, who served in Trump's Commerce Department during his first term.

• They join Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) in backing Lauf.
• Lauf also has the support of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's super PAC, which has produced AI ads in support of her.
• "I am incredibly honored to have the support of Congressman Greg Steube and Congresswoman Kat Cammack — two proven conservative fighters who know firsthand what it takes to stand up to the Washington establishment," Lauf said in a statement.

Zoom out: The race has become a coliseum for former members of Congress and perennial candidates.

• The Southwest Florida district, centered in Fort Myers area, is home to many Midwestern transplants.
• Collins of New York and former Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina are both mounting comeback bids.
• Lauf has run for Congress twice in Illinois.

In 2020, she lost the GOP primary in Illinois' 14th District to Jim Oberweis — who is now running against her again in Florida.

• Lauf later won the GOP nomination in Illinois' 11th District in 2022 but lost the general election.
• Ola Hawatmeh previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress in New York.

The intrigue: The conservative Club for Growth has pumped $1.1 million into the race to defeat Collins.

• The group doesn't appear to care who wins — as long as it's "Anybody but Chris."

Zoom in: Jim Schwartzel, a local businessman, and Lauf were essentially tied atop a recent poll, with both in the high teens. Collins was in fourth place at 8%.

• The Victory Insights poll surveyed 1,200 likely Republican primary voters across six congressional districts Aug. 4–6 using a combination of text-to-web and interactive voice response. It was not commissioned by a candidate or committee.
• A separate internal poll for Lauf's campaign has her marginally in first place ahead of Schwartzel, with over a third of voters still undecided.