Republican Mario Diaz-Balart wins reelection in Florida's District 26 after days of uncertainty
Republican U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart has won reelection in Florida's 26th Congressional District, narrowly defeating Democratic challenger Nicole Locklin after a closely contested race that remained undecided for nearly a week, CBS News projected Monday.
The projection came Nov. 9, six days after the midterm election, following a controversy over an Associated Press data entry error that briefly showed Locklin ahead before the reported totals changed.
The narrow margin marked a dramatic shift from 2024, when Diaz-Balart won reelection with nearly 71% of the vote. Diaz-Balart, first elected to Congress in 2002, is Florida's longest-serving current member of Congress.
No-party-affiliation candidate Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey was also on the ballot.
Diaz-Balart's latest victory comes despite changes to the district's boundaries ahead of the 2026 election. The new congressional map removed Collier County and added portions of southwest Broward, creating a district more competitive for Democrats.
The district currently includes portions of northwest Miami-Dade and southwest Broward counties, including communities near Hialeah, Miami Lakes and Doral.
Vote-counting controversy followed Election Day
The race became the subject of controversy after Locklin appeared to take the lead in some news organizations' election results on Tuesday night, only for those totals to change.
Locklin questioned what happened to approximately 3,000 votes that had appeared in the reported results before disappearing.
The Associated Press subsequently acknowledged that a data entry error had caused an incorrect vote total to briefly appear for Locklin. The news organization said it quickly identified and corrected the mistake.
Locklin, however, continued seeking answers and met with Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott to discuss the discrepancy and outstanding ballots.
"There is a 3,000 number vote that was reported (Tuesday night) at around 11:16 p.m. that were removed, and we don't have an explanation as to what that was," Locklin told CBS News Miami.
Scott defended the county's vote-counting process and said his office was prepared to provide evidence supporting its results.
Meanwhile, Diaz-Balart maintained on social media that he had won the election and that the confusion involved media-reported vote totals rather than official election results.
On Nov. 6, Broward County's canvassing board reviewed approximately 300 outstanding ballots flagged for discrepancies, including signature issues. Of those ballots, about 100 were accepted, according to Scott.
Election officials in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties indicated that the number of outstanding ballots was insufficient to change the outcome or trigger an automatic recount.
Diaz-Balart campaigned on his congressional record
Throughout the campaign, Diaz-Balart emphasized his experience in Washington and his efforts to reduce federal spending.
The Republican incumbent pointed to $12 billion in spending cuts through a congressional subcommittee he chairs and highlighted recently passed federal tax breaks for tipped workers and seniors.
He also promoted his work securing federal funding for infrastructure, Everglades restoration, law enforcement, schools and housing.
Affordability emerged as a major concern among voters, with candidates offering different approaches to addressing the rising costs of housing, groceries and gasoline.
Diaz-Balart supported increasing domestic energy production and refining capacity to help address fuel costs.
Immigration was a major issue in the race
Immigration also played a prominent role in the campaign, particularly in communities such as Hialeah and Doral, where more than 70% of residents are foreign-born, according to U.S. Census data.
Diaz-Balart defended efforts to secure the U.S. border but acknowledged that some subsequent immigration enforcement actions amounted to an overreaction.
He supported legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants from certain countries to have their cases reviewed individually.
Locklin, an attorney who moved to South Florida from California, campaigned on lowering tariffs and shifting more of the tax burden to billionaires and large corporations.
She also called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), expanding legal pathways for immigrants and hiring more immigration judges.
Diaz-Balart's victory allows Republicans to retain the South Florida congressional seat despite the district's newly redrawn boundaries.