Republican Representative Cory Mills lost the Florida primary for the state’s 7th Congressional District, ending his effort to keep the House seat.

Axios reported that Ryan Elijah defeated Mills in the primary. National coverage of the race followed scrutiny of allegations reviewed by the House Ethics Committee, although Mills has denied wrongdoing.

National Public Radio member station WCBU, citing the Associated Press race call, reported that Elijah won by about 12 percentage points. The result removes Mills from the general-election contest for the district unless a later legal or procedural development changes the outcome.

Mills had received support from several prominent Republicans during the campaign. His defeat gives Elijah the Republican nomination and shifts attention to the next stage of the Florida 7th District race.

The ethics allegations were part of the campaign context, not a finding that Mills committed wrongdoing. Mills has disputed the allegations, and the primary result itself does not resolve those claims.

The primary outcome also illustrates how a nationalised campaign can still turn on the local electorate. The general election will now feature a different Republican nominee for the district.cory-mills-loses-florida-primary-ethics-scrutiny