Alexander
Cooke
Alexander Cooke is an independent candidate for Florida's 21st Congressional District (2026), former Juno Beach mayor, and investment adviser.
- sources
- 9
- positions
- 7
- endorsements
- 6
Background
Alexander Cooke is an independent (No Party Affiliation) candidate for Florida's 21st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. The Florida Division of Elections lists him as qualified for the race, and the FEC identifies him as a challenger to incumbent Republican Brian Mast. 89
Cooke is the founder and CEO of Optimist Capital, a registered investment adviser. He previously served on the Juno Beach Town Council beginning in 2022 and as mayor of Juno Beach from approximately March 2022 to March 2024. 121115
Before entering politics, Cooke had a finance career spanning over two decades, including roles as Director of Portfolio Management at Fairfield Bush & Co. (2005–2017), fixed-income trader at Phoenix Cos. and Main St. Management (2002–2004), and registered representative at Oldham Resource Group (1998–2002). He holds a B.S. in Finance/Accounting from Fairfield University. 117
Cooke was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, and has lived in Palm Beach County, Florida since 2017. His campaign is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 15
At a glance
- Party
- Independent
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 21, Florida
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Founder and CEO, Optimist Capital
- Website
- cooke2026.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Date unknownfilingFEC filing: Cooke For Florida raised $19,543, spent $18,878, held $665 cash on hand through June 30
FEC data lists Cooke's committee, Cooke For Florida (C00945493), as having raised $19,543, spent $18,878, and held $665 cash on hand, with $13,000 in debts. Receipts included $13,000 in candidate loans and $6,543 from individuals, with no PAC contributions. These figures cover through June 30 and do not capture later activity.
Alexander Cooke (I) — U.S. Representative, FL-21 | 2026 profile · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 25pollNo public district poll of FL-21 found as of late September 2026
A race profile reported that no public polls of FL-21 had been located as of that date, meaning no public polling result surfaced in available sources—not that no private polling was conducted.
Alexander Cooke (I) — U.S. Representative, FL-21 | 2026 profile · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 24filingCooke confirmed as qualified for the November 3 ballot in FL-21
A profile citing Florida's Division of Elections candidate-tracking system reported Cooke as qualified for the November 3 general election ballot, alongside Republican incumbent Brian Mast and Democrat James Martin.
Alexander Cooke (I) — U.S. Representative, FL-21 | 2026 profile · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 13newsTCPalm publishes candidate questionnaire featuring Alexander Cooke's issue positions
TCPalm published general-election candidate questionnaires for FL-21. Cooke described himself as an independent and highlighted local water management, property insurance, zoning, and small-business concerns. His campaign website was listed as alexcookeforcongress.com.
Florida election 2026 candidates for Congress, U.S. House District 21 · Sep 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Jacob Rosengarten (Juno Beach council member) officialListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
- Mark and Sue Szalkiewicz (Juno Beach residents) otherListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
- Nancy Wolf (Planning & Zoning Board member) officialListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
- DD Halpern (Juno Beach council member and former mayor) officialListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
- Beverly Gibel (Juno Beach resident) otherListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
- Jennifer Pierce (Juno Beach resident) otherListed under 'What Residents Say' on Cooke's campaign site as a testimonial, not a formal endorsement; no date given. alexcookeforcongress.com
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $20K
- Spent
- $19K
- Cash on hand
- $665
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6FL21109(opens in a new tab)
Sources 9
- [1] Foreign Aid vs. Domestic Investment | Alex Cooke for Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 12, 2026
- [2] ACA Premium Cliff | Alex Cooke for Congress (FL-21)(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
- [3] Alex Cooke for Congress | Florida First Independent for FL-21(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
- [4] Issues(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
- [5] Protecting the Free Market | Alex Cooke for Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
- [6] Alex Cooke for Congress | Florida District 21 (Independent)(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
- [7] Meet Alex Cooke(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
- [8] Alexander Cooke (I) — U.S. Representative, FL-21 | 2026 profile(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
- [9] Florida election 2026 candidates for Congress, U.S. House District 21(opens in a new tab) Sep 13, 2026