The Case Against Ryan Elijah

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Floridians are having their health care ripped away from them, tariffs are driving up costs across the board, and D.C. Republicans’ war-of-choice in Iran is crushing Central Florida families. Anyone who is happy with this disastrous, cost-raising agenda has their man in Ryan Elijah. (That’s not very many people.) Ryan Elijah built a campaign with no daylight between him and the extremist Republicans in Washington, D.C. responsible for getting Florida into this mess. He is utterly incapable of standing up to his party on the issues that matter most to Florida’s working families to bring down the cost of living. Ryan Elijah is more of the Washington extremist status quo – and Central Florida’s families can’t survive more of this.

A native son of Central Florida, Bale Dalton has dedicated his life to public service. He has served in the Navy and Navy Reserve for over two decades, defending America abroad in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Pacific. When he returned home he looked for more ways to serve Floridians while continuing his Navy reserve duty. He went on to advocate for Florida’s military families and bases in the Senate, then served as NASA’s Chief of Staff helping to show the world what America and Florida are capable of when we work together with his critical work on the Artemis mission.

Florida has been one of the states hit hardest by D.C. politicians’ disastrous cost-raising agenda. Florida is ranked the 3rd most expensive state in the country and Central Floridians are being forced to make “huge sacrifices” just to make ends meet. Republicans are entering this race with a milquetoast candidate who barely eked out of a messy primary against the most corrupt member of Congress. Bale is a strong candidate that aligns well with the district, and is focused on the economic anxiety that has voters ready for change. Bale is well-positioned to flip Florida’s 7th Congressional District blue this November.

Tariffs are Crushing Central Floridians and Ryan Elijah Thinks They Are “Working” 

Central Florida’s working families are being crushed under the weight of Ryan Elijah and D.C. politicians’ disastrous economy. The tariffs coming out of Washington, D.C. represent the largest tax hike in American history and they are driving up prices in Central Florida on everything from groceries to basic clothing. While families in FL-07 are struggling to put food on the table or make it to the end of the month, Ryan Elijah sees a “working” economic agenda. On average, Florida families are paying at least $3,100 more per year and building new housing is getting even more expensive while Central Florida faces a housing crisis thanks to Elijah-endorsed economic policies.

Elijah even admits that he knows these tariffs are hurting Florida’s small businesses – he just doesn’t care. Elijah has made it clear that he is not running to help Central Floridians, he wants to be another rubber-stamp in D.C. for the exact same policies that got Florida into this crisis.

From being responsible for the lives of hundreds of sailors during his time in combat to working for the team that recently sent Americans to the moon, Bale Dalton has spent his life working to solve difficult problems, Bale Dalton wants to get to Congress to roll up his sleeves and work to make life more affordable for working families starting with ending the tariff taxes that are squeezing Florida families and  taking on the insurance and utility industries hiking up rates.

Elijah Is No Different From the Republicans Gutting Health Care and Putting Floridians’ Lives at Risk 

1.6 million Floridians are having their health care ripped away from them by D.C. political insiders like Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopolos – and Elijah was “honored” to have their support. Hundreds of thousands of Central Floridians rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health care needs, and thanks to Elijah’s backers’ Medicaid cuts and failure to extend the ACA tax credits, more than 4.5 million Floridians are seeing their premiums skyrocket. This crisis is hitting Florida’s seniors particularly hard, with some Florida seniors seeing their monthly health care costs jump by 259% from approximately $700 a month to more than $2,600. For seniors often living on a fixed income, these astronomical rate hikes are existential. With Florida now ranked 10th among the most difficult states for seniors to make ends meet, and almost a quarter of Florida’s elderly population living in poverty, some seniors are even considering living in their cars as the health care crisis continues. Even after seeing the devastating impacts Republicans’ landmark legislation was having on Central Floridians, Elijah still went out of his way to heap praise on the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Bale Dalton knows that Florida voters can’t survive more of the same politicians voting in lock-step with their D.C. party bosses, even when it hurts working families. He’s running for Congress because he got sick and tired of watching the same politicians supporting Ryan Elijah put Washington, D.C. first and Florida families last. He’s going to D.C. to reinstate the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make health care less expensive and ensure that the federal government is working for the people, not the wealthiest few.

Six Months into Republicans’ War-of-Choice in Iran, Ryan Elijah Said ‘Keep It Coming’

D.C. Republicans’ disastrous war-of-choice in Iran is having devastating impacts throughout Central Florida. A gallon of gas has skyrocketed compared to this time last year, with working families struggling to fuel up their cars, small businesses paying more for transportation costs, and Florida’s landmark tourist industry taking a massive hit. Ryan Elijah thinks Central Florida needs more of this pain, saying just earlier this month he supported the continuation of his D.C. handlers’ war. If Elijah can’t stand up to his party when Floridian lives are on the line, voters could never trust him to fight for them over his D.C. interests. Worst of all, Elijah has refused to condemn this reckless war, even with the loss of American lives, including at least one young man from Central Florida.

Bale Dalton has built his life as a dedicated military officer focused on protecting Americans at home and abroad. He has served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve for more than two decades As a Navy helicopter pilot, Bale flew medical evacuation missions in Kuwait and Iraq, delivered relief after Hurricane Katrina, supported special operations in Iraq and Africa, and directed combat air support in Afghanistan. When sailors on the USS Lincoln were kept out at sea for 9 months, it wasn’t Ryan Elijah who stood up for them – it was Bale Dalton. Wherever American families have needed protection, Bale was there. Central Florida deserves a representative that they can trust, Dalton has proven his character at every opportunity.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Florida Politics: Ryan Elijah says he’s lived in Florida for 20 years, but he ran for Congress in Indiana in 2010 [Florida Politics, 08/07/26]

“Republican congressional candidate Ryan Elijah has touted 20 years of living in Florida as he challenges U.S. Rep. Cory Mills. But he ran for Congress in Indiana 16 years ago. Elijah opened a Federal Election Commission (FEC) account in June 2010 to run in a Special Election in Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District. His paperwork at the time listed him as a resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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Elijah’s own words to the paper at the time sit awkwardly beside his residency claims now. “I’ve lived in this community my entire life with the exception of the five years I was in Florida,” he said of Fort Wayne in 2010.”

Florida Politics: Bill Nelson brings rocket fuel to support Bale Dalton’s congressional campaign launch [Florida Politics, 11/19/25]

“Former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants one of his former staffers to serve in Congress. The Melbourne Democrat is endorsing Bale Dalton’s bid to unseat GOP U.S. Rep. Cory Mills.
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Dalton held the top staff post at NASA from January 2024 until January this year when President Donald Trump’s administration started. Before holding that post, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, a position he took on in May 2021 shortly after Nelson’s confirmation.

While Nelson served as Florida’s senior Senator, Dalton also worked as his Military Legislative Assistant from March 2016 to January of 2019, when Nelson left the Senate following a narrow defeat by now-U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.”

Florida Playbook: Financing the governor’s race [Florida Playbook, 06/11/26]

“Former Rep. VAL DEMINGS has endorsed former NASA chief of staff and Navy helicopter pilot BALE DALTON for Florida’s 7th District…Demings said of Dalton, a fellow Democrat, ‘I know leadership, resolve, and selflessness when I see it.’”

Florida Politics: Bale Dalton surpasses $1.2M in fundraising to flip Cory Mills’ seat [Florida Politics, 07/18/26]

“Dalton, a former NASA Chief of Staff, collected more than $509,000 over the last three months, bringing his total for the campaign north of $1.2 million. He closed June with more than $763,000 in cash on hand.

The new money came alongside endorsements from state Rep. RaShon Young and Maitland Mayor John Lowndes.”

Florida Politics: Pete Buttigieg endorses Bale Dalton, a veteran trying to flip CD 7 from red to blue, 08/15/26]

“Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is weighing in on another potential battleground race.
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‘As a Navy helicopter pilot and former NASA Chief of Staff, Bale has spent his career in public service — deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, and helping lead a federal agency that is a model for what our government can accomplish,’ Buttigieg said. ‘He’s part of a new wave of veterans stepping up to serve their country in new ways: by taking on the carnival of corruption in Washington, advocating for working families, and showing there is no such thing as a permanently red state or district. I’m proud to endorse Bale — he is the right candidate to beat Cory Mills in November and deliver better results for Central Florida.’”

Florida Playbook: Florida Dems play up midterm candidates with military cred [Florida Playbook, 02/13/26]

“VoteVets’ endorsements have included Vindman, McAuley, Dalton and Palm Beach commissioner candidate Curtis Calabrese, a Navy combat veteran.
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Former NASA chief of staff Bale Dalton, who’s still in the Navy Reserve and faced numerous deployments, raised nearly $344,000 during the last quarter of 2025 to go up against GOP Rep. Cory Mills.
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He said leaders must be clear about the long-term plan of military operations and how they’d be funded, and said those who’ve done military service understand how important accountability is.”

PATH TO VICTORY

Even before the scandals and headlines of Cory Mills’ alleged crimes and investigations, Florida’s 7th Congressional District was trending toward Democrats, from the suburbs of Orlando to Daytona Beach. Throughout Cory Mills’ time in Congress, Republicans’ margin of support has slipped within the district, dropping 4 points from 2022 to 2024, proving the voters of FL-07 are increasingly open to a Democratic alternative. Multiple special elections in Florida have proven voters are demanding accountability for politicians who are making life more expensive. In a race that will be litigated on Republicans’ long list of failures making life harder for voters, Democrats have the ideal foil in public service-oriented Bale Dalton.

The only public polling in this race shows Bale is on strong footing and that Republicans are particularly vulnerable in this district. Democrats are leading in the generic ballot and Donald Trump is massively underwater. And that was before a grueling GOP primary fractured their party and drained their resources. A true public servant, active reservist, and former NASA Chief of Staff, Bale Dalton enters the race with a significant fundraising advantage and is well-positioned to defeat Ryan Elijah in November and flip FL-07 Blue.

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