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Ryan Elijah (R) will face off against Bale Dalton (D) in the 2026 Florida general election in November for the District 7 seat.
Florida's sixth congressional district covers Seminole and portions of Volusia Counties.
Florida primary election results
By the numbers:
Meet the candidates
Ryan Elijah (R)
Ryan Elijah – an Emmy award-winning news anchor from the state of Indiana – has lived in Florida for 20 years, raising his family on conservative values.
During his career in broadcast news, Elijah created a consumer advocacy segment – which returned thousands of dollars to those in need – while also highlighting federal issues, including Social Security disability benefits and consumer protection matters, according to his website.
As Elijah sat down with FOX 35’s John Brown days before the primary, he noted his focus is listening to neighbors, investing in people and fighting for them. Elijah spoke on the opportunity to "step up and lead" and wanting a change in District 7.
Elijah
His one issue he'll tackle first: affordability, he said. He wants to drive down costs for American families and keep taxes low.
"There’s a lot of things we can do with affordability," Elijah told Brown. "Obviously, tight relationships with sheriffs – keeping everything safe, that’s a big deal. Affordability, is what it comes back to."
Elijah, a strong defender of law enforcement, received endorsements from both Seminole County and Volusia County Sheriffs, Dennis Lemma and Mike Chitwood, respectively.
Other issues Elijah supports are lowering healthcare costs, by providing individuals with tax benefits, such as expanded Health Savings Accounts, and champions parents rights and school choice.
Bale Dalton (D)
Bale Dalton, a retired Navy captain and former NASA chief of staff, is running as a Democrat in Florida’s 7th Congressional District, emphasizing his military and government experience while campaigning on affordability, health care and national security.
Dalton grew up in Central Florida and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy before serving 24 years in the Navy and Navy Reserve, including 13 years on active duty. His deployments included Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and the Pacific, and he flew medical evacuation missions, supported special operations and directed combat air support. He later worked at the State Department and for former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Dalton also worked in the private aerospace sector before becoming NASA chief of staff, where his campaign says he helped oversee an agency with 16,500 employees. He has framed his congressional bid as a continuation of his public service and has criticized Republican U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, saying the district needs a representative focused on constituents rather than partisan politics.
Affordability is a central part of Dalton’s campaign. He says Florida families are struggling with grocery, utility, property insurance and other costs and supports raising the federal minimum wage and passing the PRO Act. He also calls for greater competition in the insurance and utility industries and opposes tariffs that he says raise prices for consumers and businesses.
On health care, Dalton supports expanding protections under the Affordable Care Act, negotiating prescription drug prices and protecting Social Security and Medicare. He also opposes Florida’s six-week abortion ban and supports putting the protections previously established under Roe v. Wade into federal law.
Dalton has also focused on housing and taxes, arguing that middle-class families need tax relief and that the federal government should reduce wasteful spending. On housing, he supports increasing supply while prohibiting Wall Street investors from purchasing single-family homes, which he argues would help make homeownership more attainable.
Drawing on his military career, Dalton supports what he describes as strong national and border security while opposing prolonged U.S. involvement in overseas conflicts without clear strategic goals. He also describes himself as a gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment while arguing that firearms should be kept from violent criminals and that law enforcement agencies should have adequate resources.
When is the general election?
What's next:
The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Key dates to know:
- Oct. 5: Deadline to register to vote in the November general election
- Oct. 22: Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot
- Oct. 24-31: Early voting period
- Nov. 3: Election Day
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from primary election poll results and information gathered from the congressional candidate's websites.