Did Alex Vindman Just Get Burned by the Larry David Curse?
Retired Lt Col Alex Vindman, the decorated US Army veteran and Trump impeachment whistleblower, unexpectedly lost Florida's Democratic Senate primary to little-known state representative Angie Nixon on 18 August 2026, despite vastly outspending her. The result has stunned political observers, given Vindman's strong name recognition, war chest and biography, and has instead prompted the Hollywood press to point the finger at an unlikely culprit: a curse associated with comedian Larry David.
Vindman raised around $16 million, some $15 million more than Nixon, a Jacksonville-based Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidate largely unknown outside her district, yet still lost by more than 12 points, taking under half of the roughly 1.25 million votes cast. The article links the upset to Vindman's two guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, including testifying against Larry David in the show's finale, and David's subsequent campaign fundraising message on his behalf; David is jokingly blamed for a "curse" that has historically denied him and those associated with him expected wins, including Emmy recognition throughout Curb Your Enthusiasm's 24-year run. The winner, Nixon, will go on to face Republican incumbent Senator Ashley Moody, who is completing the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.
- Alex Vindman lost Florida's Senate primary to underdog Angie Nixon
- He outspent her $16m to $1m but lost by over 12 points
- Article jokingly blames a "Larry David curse" from his Curb Your Enthusiasm cameos
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Alex Vindman is a retired US Army lieutenant colonel best known for testifying in Donald Trump's first impeachment inquiry, after which he became a prominent figure among Trump's critics. He recently ran as a Democratic candidate for the US Senate seat in Florida, a race widely expected to favour him given his high profile and substantial campaign funds.
His opponent, Angie Nixon, was a relatively unknown Florida state representative aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, with a far smaller campaign budget. Also relevant is comedian Larry David, on whose television show Vindman had appeared as a guest and who publicly backed his Senate bid; David is known in entertainment circles for being associated with a long-running "curse" of near-misses and unexpected losses for himself and others connected to him.
The Florida primary matters because it determines who represents the Democratic Party against the sitting Republican senator in the general election later this year, and the outcome has drawn attention well beyond Florida due to the gap between expectations and the result.