The Winner
If you live in Florida's 26th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), who has been declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to CBS News.
CBS News called the race on Nov. 9, and Diaz-Balart took about 49.9% of the vote to about 49.1% for Democrat Nicole Locklin, according to the state's official results as of Nov. 10. That is a margin of about one point, or about 1,704 votes.
The winner rests on the call, and the vote figures are preliminary: totals may change until the state certifies them.
The Race
Democrat Nicole Locklin reached the general election ballot by winning the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. Deborah Meidinger Hosey also ran, taking about 1.0% of the vote, or about 2,352 votes.
Cook Political Report and Inside Elections each rated the seat Solid Republican, and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia.
Florida's 26th District has a majority-Hispanic population, about 73.7%, among roughly 804,200 residents, according to geographic data for the district. Median household income is about $72,000, and median age is about 43.
About 30.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher; the unemployment rate is about 4.2%, and about 14.0% of residents live below the poverty line. The district is about 31.7% white, 5.5% Black, and 1.0% Asian.
The district covers parts of Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What's Next
Diaz-Balart is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027, according to the House Clerk. The state has not yet certified the vote counts.
The Office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart lists him as ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and as a member of the Defense Subcommittee, as reported on his official House website and accessed Nov. 10.
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