A Trump-backed Republican candidate who ousted the incumbent president warns of an "endless war" with Iran.

Ryan Elijah, the TV journalist who has won a seat in Congress, says that after defeating Cory Mills in the Florida Republican primary, his focus will be on transparency and accountability.

The Trump-backed Republican candidate warned of "endless war" with Iran in a key Florida House race

Ryan Elijah, who defeated Rep. Cory Mills in the Republican primary, says the United States must deter a nuclear-armed Iran while reducing military conflict.

For 14 years, Ryan Elijah reported Central Florida's biggest stories from the television newsroom. Now he has a mission to represent the same community in Congress.

Elijah waded into a contentious GOP primary, warning that incumbent Cory Mills was in danger of losing the Republican district to Democrats after a series of personal and professional scandals.

Elijah won the Republican primary on August 18 with 47 percent of the vote to Mills' 34 percent.

Trump, who had initially endorsed Mills, later claimed that he had privately encouraged the congressman to drop out.

Republican primary challenger Rep. Cory Mills has raised threats of eviction as allegations of sexual misconduct mount

Former local TV news anchor Ryan Elijah unseated Rep. Corey Mills in a high-profile Florida GOP primary race. (Mike McClain/Ryan Elijah for Congress)

Ilya did not take the decision to leave the media lightly, but he felt called to lead:

"I love my job. It's something I could retire from television and be perfectly happy. But I think we're all looking for a time when you're asked to step up and lead. And for me, this was it. When we saw how the primaries played out. Now it's clear that we're going to lose this election in November.

"And I decided that we had connections in this community to throw our hats in the ring. We had the trust of the community and the primaries played out pretty much as we thought they would, where people wanted to vote. I think that's what the primaries in Seminole County and Volusia County are talking about. "In that primary, and now I think they put us in a great position to run this seat in November."

Ilya pledges to put transparency and accountability front and center for 7th District voters:

"Well, I think transparency and accountability are big issues. I think when I talk to people, they don't feel heard very much in Washington. And I think you should be as transparent about everything as you can. And first of all, if you have nothing to hide, this is the best way to be transparent because you can show exactly how you trade and how your life trades.

"And that's something we've talked about a lot ... and then in terms of accountability, no one is above the law. And that's the message that Americans want to hear, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, laws are there for a reason and we have to make sure those laws are followed."

As a military conflict with Iran roils global energy markets and lines Americans' pockets, Elijah accepts the need to neutralize a nuclear Iran, but is wary of yet another perpetual war:

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"This is a matter of a decade and a conflict between Iran and its proxies, where they have targeted Americans and killed them. So the US military is currently trying to end this conflict. But as representatives, we must listen to the American people. We need to listen to the people of Central Florida."

"And they've been very clear about that. They worry about it. They worry that this is an endless war. They do not want this. I don't want that either. I share this belief, which is why I think we need to reduce this conflict. And we have to make sure that Iran is not a nuclear threat."

On the issue of immigration, Elijah points to improvements under Republican leadership, but argues that the executive focus should remain on criminals:

That's another thing that I think needs to be looked at where we come from. When you allow tens of millions of people into this country illegally, you're going to have problems that will take a long time to fix. And I think if you look at the way federal, local, and state cooperation on immigration should work, that's how it should work. That's why when I talk to the sheriffs in my district who support us, they handle immigration so much better than other districts across the country because they have that cooperation.

We have to start with the criminals. We have many criminals still in the United States illegally. That's what they focused on in Central Florida. That's what ICE should be focusing on and removing criminals. And there is a compassionate way to deal with this, because we have a problem that is not going to be solved in just six or 12 months.

Ilya consistently emphasizes that he will be an independent voice for the region, not a party stamp:

"Well, I've said a lot of things. You see, I ran in this primary without the endorsement of the president. I've been an independent voice in this, and I've told a lot of people who ask me that question.

"As you can imagine, I go to a lot of doors. It's one question: 'Do you support the president?' Don't you support the president?” And what I tell them is that if it's a policy that supports our country and supports our region, I will support that policy.

“Most of the time, I will, because I'm a Republican. I like a lot of these policies. If there's a policy I disagree with, we won't. So in that situation, it's all here."

Finally, Elijah acknowledges that affordability, while lacking a quick and easy fix, is the defining issue of 2026 for many voters:

"I think the first thing we're hearing from people, and that's affordability, and it's not an easy fix, but I think what they want from the government is accountability. We've talked about it before, that the government is going to be accountable for its spending, for its policies and deflation that brings down interest rates. It's going to lower the cost of living.

"People in Central Florida, people across the country, they want to be heard. And what they're saying right now in a very clear tone is make sure you control government spending and protect our children's future. That's probably the biggest thing I want them to understand."

Elijah will face Navy veteran and former NASA employee Bill Dalton in the Nov. 3 general election.

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