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D Democratic · U.S. House 7, Florida · Nov 3, 2026

Bale
Dalton

Democratic Navy veteran and former NASA chief of staff running to unseat Rep. Cory Mills in Florida's 7th Congressional District in 2026

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
24
positions
11
endorsements
27
baledalton.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)
Opponents Christopher Dennison L+ 1 more Compare race →

Background

Bale Dalton is the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Rep. Cory Mills in Florida's 7th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. A native of Orlando, Florida, he holds a B.S. in ocean engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. [5, 6, 19]

Dalton served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve as a naval aviator and commanding officer, and later worked as a program director at Air Center Helicopters. He also worked at the U.S. State Department and for Senator Bill Nelson before joining NASA, where he served as deputy chief of staff (May 2021–December 2023) and then chief of staff (January 2024–January 2025). [19, 20]

He has no prior elected office; all previous public-service roles were appointed or staff positions. His campaign has received endorsements from former Rep. Val Demings, Senator Bill Nelson, and Congresswoman Lois Frankel, among others. [16, 17, 14]

Dalton has focused his campaign on anti-corruption measures, healthcare costs, and opposition to U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict, positioning himself as a Blue Dog Democrat. [4, 8, 9, 13]

At a glance

Party
Democratic
Running for
U.S. House · District 7, Florida
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Website
baledalton.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 5
    filing
    Florida voter registration deadline passes for November 3 general election

    Florida's deadline to register to vote in the November 3 general election passed on October 5, a milestone affecting all candidates including Dalton and Elijah in FL-07.

    Distrito 7 de Florida 2026: Elijah vs. Dalton · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 4
    endorsement
    Orlando Sentinel endorses Dalton for Florida's 7th Congressional District

    The Orlando Sentinel editorial board endorsed Bale Dalton for the FL-07 seat, saying he would restore honor to the district.

    Endorsement: Dalton would restore honor in U.S. District 7 · Oct 4, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oct 1
    news
    Dalton unveils anti-corruption plan targeting congressional stock trading and ethics

    Dalton announced a plan to ban congressional stock trading, restrict government officials from betting on prediction markets, strengthen House ethics enforcement, remove taxpayer-funded benefits from members found guilty of ethics violations, and require independent audits of members' financial disclosures. He also criticized opponent Elijah for indicating on a candidate form he would trade stocks if elected.

    FL-07 Congressional ... · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Oct 1
    news
    Dalton tells Bloomberg FL-07 race is a 'forever war' issue

    In a Bloomberg video, Dalton discussed his view that the U.S. has gotten itself into a forever war, signaling foreign policy as a campaign theme.

    Watch Dalton: We've Gotten Ourselves Into a Forever War · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 29
    news
    DCCC declares FL-07 a toss-up race as support rallies around Dalton

    The DCCC announced that FL-07 had become a toss-up race, citing growing support for Bale Dalton among Florida voters.

    FL-07 Is Now a Toss Up Race as Floridians Rally Around Bale Dalton · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 23
    news
    Fox News Power Rankings shifts FL-07 toward Democrats, DCCC notes

    The DCCC highlighted a ratings change in which Fox News Power Rankings shifted FL-07 in a more favorable direction for Democrats, citing momentum around Bale Dalton.

    🚨RATINGS CHANGE: Fox News Power Rankings Shifts FL-07 Towards Democrats - DCCC · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sep 23
    debate
    Ryan Elijah declines to confirm attendance at proposed debate with Dalton

    Florida Politics reported that Elijah had not agreed to debate Dalton, despite Dalton having called for one for weeks. WESH had proposed a debate including Dalton, Elijah, and Libertarian Christopher Dennison, but Elijah had not confirmed attendance.

    Ryan Elijah brushes off calls for debate with Bale Dalton · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sep 15
    debate
    DCCC reports Ryan Elijah flip-flopped on debating Dalton

    The DCCC reported that Elijah, after previously saying he owed voters a debate, was running scared from Dalton and had flip-flopped on committing to a debate.

    NEW: Ryan Elijah Is Running Scared from Bale Dalton, Flip-Flops ... · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sep 14
    endorsement
    DMFI PAC Majority Project endorses Dalton for FL-07 general election

    The DMFI PAC Majority Project announced its general-election endorsement of Bale Dalton as part of a broader endorsement of five Democrats for U.S. House races.

    DMFI PAC Majority Project Endorses Five Democrats for U.S. House ... · Sep 14, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  10. Aug 18
    filing
    Dalton wins Democratic primary in FL-07 with 45.5%

    Dalton won the Democratic nomination for Florida's 7th Congressional District with 45.5%, ahead of Marialana Kinter and former Rep. Alan Grayson. Republican Ryan Elijah defeated incumbent Cory Mills in the same primary. The November 3 general-election ballot also includes Libertarian Christopher Dennison.

    Florida 7th District race 2026: Elijah vs. Dalton — Polls & Dates · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  11. May 20
    poll
    Pre-primary PPP poll shows Dalton at 41%, Mills at 39% in FL-07

    A PPP poll commissioned by Democrats and conducted May 20–21 showed Dalton at 41% and Mills at 39%. This was conducted before the primaries and does not reflect the current Dalton–Elijah general-election matchup.

    Florida 7th District race 2026: Elijah vs. Dalton — Polls & Dates · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • Tom Kirk official
    Casselberry city commissioner; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • DCCC Red to Blue organization
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • Moms Demand Action organization
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America union
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • Sarah Baker official
    Winter Springs city commissioner; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • League of Conservation Voters organization
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • Stephanie Murphy official
    Former U.S. Representative; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • Buddy Dyer official
    Orlando mayor; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1625 union
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 756 union
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • LaVon Bracy Davis official
    Florida state senator; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • Rita Harris official
    Florida state representative; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • New Dems Coalition organization
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • Bill Nelson official
    Former U.S. Senator from Florida; date not stated on campaign endorsements page baledalton.com
  • Veterans for Responsible Leadership organization
    Campaign-listed; date not stated baledalton.com
  • Orlando Sentinel newspaper
    Editorial board endorsement titled 'Dalton would restore honor in U.S. District 7' orlandosentinel.com · Oct 4, 2026
  • Pete Buttigieg official
    Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation; DCCC described endorsement as occurring 'this past weekend' in an August 17 post dccc.org · Aug 17, 2026
  • Lois Frankel official
    U.S. Representative baledalton.com · Aug 5, 2026
  • John Lowndes official
    Maitland mayor baledalton.com · Jul 15, 2026
  • RaShon Young official
    Florida state representative baledalton.com · Jul 15, 2026
  • The Next 50 organization
    Announcement dated July 6, 2026 politico.com · Jul 6, 2026
  • 314 Action Fund organization
    Science-focused political organization 314action.org · Jun 29, 2026
  • Val Demings official
    Former U.S. Representative; former Orlando chief of police baledalton.com · Jun 10, 2026
  • Blue Dog Coalition organization
    Campaign-listed; Blue Dog PAC page gives June 10, 2026 for its endorsement bluedogdems.com · Jun 10, 2026
  • Kathy Castor official
    U.S. Representative baledalton.com · Mar 16, 2026
  • VoteVets organization
    Veterans advocacy organization votevets.org · Jan 20, 2026
  • New Politics organization
    Announced January 19, 2026 newpolitics.org · Jan 19, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$1.38M
Spent
$902K
Cash on hand
$476K

As of Jul 29, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6FL07215(opens in a new tab)

Sources 24

  1. [1] New Politics Endorses Bale Dalton For Congress In ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 10, 2026
  2. [2] Bale Dalton – Oviedo Community News(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  3. [3] Florida 7th District race 2026: Elijah vs. Dalton — Polls & Dates(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  4. [4] Endorsement: Dalton would restore honor in U.S. District 7(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
  5. [5] FL-07 Congressional ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  6. [6] Watch Dalton: We've Gotten Ourselves Into a Forever War(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  7. [7] FL-07 Is Now a Toss Up Race as Floridians Rally Around Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
  8. [8] 🚨RATINGS CHANGE: Fox News Power Rankings Shifts FL-07 Towards Democrats - DCCC(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  9. [9] Ryan Elijah brushes off calls for debate with Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  10. [10] News - Blue Dog PAC(opens in a new tab) Sep 16, 2026
  11. [11] Distrito 7 de Florida 2026: Elijah vs. Dalton(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
  12. [12] NEW: Ryan Elijah Is Running Scared from Bale Dalton, Flip-Flops ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
  13. [13] DMFI PAC Majority Project Endorses Five Democrats for U.S. House ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 14, 2026
  14. [14] Bale Dalton Calls for an End to the Iran War On the Six- ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 28, 2026
  15. [15] “The Right Candidate”: Pete Buttigieg Endorses Bale ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 17, 2026
  16. [16] Copy of 070626_Endorsement Rls(opens in a new tab) Aug 10, 2026
  17. [17] Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel Endorses ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 5, 2026
  18. [18] Bale Dalton Raises Over $1.2M in Race to Defeat Rep. Cory Mills, Secures Local Endorsements - Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Jul 15, 2026
  19. [19] 314 Action Fund Endorses Bale Dalton for Florida's 7th ...(opens in a new tab) Jun 29, 2026
  20. [20] Former Rep. Val Demings Endorses Bale Dalton - Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Jun 10, 2026
  21. [21] Endorsements - Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Jun 4, 2026
  22. [22] Priorities - Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) May 18, 2026
  23. [23] Rep. Kathy Castor Endorses Bale Dalton - Bale Dalton(opens in a new tab) Mar 16, 2026
  24. [24] VoteVets Endorses Bale Dalton for Congress in FL-07(opens in a new tab) Jan 20, 2026
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