GROSS OUT: Keith Gross Defeated in GOP Primary

Keith Gross made a valiant – and expensive – effort to become Florida’s first elected openly gay Congressman this year.

Keith Gross is a franchise attorney and owner of Gross Law Group, the law firm suing DonutNV franchisees, including military Veterans. Despite significantly outspending his rivals, Gross failed in his bid to secure the Republican nomination for an open Senate seat in Florida’s second Congressional district.

Austin Rogers overcame a crowded Republican field and a major financial disadvantage to win the GOP nomination. The former general counsel to U.S. Sen. Rick Scott defeated well-funded attorney Keith Gross in the contest to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn.

Gross Falls Short Despite Multi-Million Dollar Ad Spending

FL 02 PRIMARY CAMPAIGN SPENDING EFFICIENCY (Cost per Vote) 2026

Keith Gross (R) [=============================================] $836.89/vote
Nicholas Lewis (R) [===] $78.03/vote
Nicholas Zateslo (D) [==] $59.24/vote
Jim Norton (R) [=] $38.46/vote
Evan Power (R) [=] $35.74/vote
Austin Rogers (R)* [=] $25.13/vote
Audie Rowell (R) [=] $20.31/vote
Lee Jones (R) [=] $16.43/vote
Amanda Green (D)* [=] $15.46/vote
Brice Barnes (D) [=] $14.47/vote
Luke Murphy (R) [=] $9.69/vote
Yen Bailey (D) [=] $8.14/vote

Rogers secured roughly 28% of the reported vote, placing him comfortably ahead of seven Republican rivals. His campaign emphasized his Panhandle connections, even as opponents questioned the Lynn Haven Republican’s recent years in Washington, D.C. His legal and political experience with Scott also helped establish him as a credible conservative candidate.

Gross finished second with approximately 17% of the vote, narrowly staying ahead of Purple Heart veteran Luke Murphy. Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power followed at about 16%, while Gulf County Schools Superintendent Jim Norton received roughly 12%.

Other candidates recorded smaller shares:

Retired chief deputy Audie Rowell took about 6%.
Desert Storm pilot Lee Jon Jones earned close to 2%.
Insurance business owner Nick Lewis also received around 2%.

The closing stretch largely became a contest between Rogers and Gross. Panhandle Patriots PAC, a political committee supporting Rogers, spent more than $1.6 million, including attacks highlighting Gross’ former Democratic affiliation.

Gross responded with a cease-and-desist demand, (sent by attorney and stand-up comedian Rob Vinson of Gross Law Group) after which the committee agreed to stop running the disputed advertisements without conceding that its claims were inaccurate.

Spending Edge Fails to Carry Gross to Victory

Gross entered the primary with significant financial resources, investing millions of dollars of his own money. That fundraising strength, however, did not translate into enough Republican votes. Rogers’ local message, political background and outside support proved more influential than Gross’ direct spending advantage.

During the campaign, Gross defended his evolution into a Donald Trump-aligned Republican. He argued that his past Democratic registration should not define his current positions, noting that Trump had also previously identified with and supported Democratic figures. Despite his status as an openly gay businessman married to Scott Marr (consultant and funder of the controversial DonutNV Franchising Inc.), Gross backed conservative policies, including opposition to federal funding for gender-transition procedures involving minors.

Gross also challenged Power’s relationship with the state Republican Party by filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. The dispute centered on whether party-linked social media activity improperly benefited Power’s campaign and ultimately prompted restrictions on some of Power’s fundraising activity. Despite that controversy and Gross’ spending edge, Rogers emerged as the Republican nominee in a district expected to remain favorable to the GOP.

The result showed that campaign cash alone could not deliver the nomination for Keith Gross. Austin Rogers combined regional ties, conservative credentials and substantial outside support to rise above an eight-candidate field, leaving Gross out of the race to succeed Neal Dunn in Congress.

Tip of the hat to Florida Politics.

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