Bale Dalton

Bale Dalton (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 7th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Democratic primary on August 18, 2026.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Central Florida and have spent my career in public service.

After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, I’ve served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve for over 24 years. I’ve spent 13 years on active duty, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Pacific. As a Navy helicopter pilot, I flew search and rescue flights in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, medical evacuation missions in Kuwait, special operations missions in Iraq and Africa, and directed combat air support with the Navy SEALs in Afghanistan.

After active duty, I worked for Senator Bill Nelson in Congress, helping Florida veterans access the care they needed and benefits they had earned. I then returned to active duty as commanding officer of the Navy’s special operations support helicopter squadron, and used my military background to improve efficiency and operations at an aerospace company in the private sector. As NASA Chief of Staff, I managed 16,500 employees and helped run one of the federal government’s most effective agencies.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

From the price of gas to soaring health care premiums, housing costs, and property insurance bills, it’s becoming harder every day for hardworking Floridians to get ahead.

My number one priority is making Florida affordable again. This requires ending the war in Iran which is raising our gas prices and reversing the illegal tariffs that Rep. Mills voted for, which are squeezing small businesses and raising costs throughout the supply chain. Rep. Mills also voted to raise the cost of health care premiums by thousands every month – to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. We must reverse these price hikes, make coverage more affordable, and provide oversight over the insurance and utility companies that are gouging Floridians.Trust in government has evaporated, and with good reason. Congressman Cory Mills is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for conflicts of interest, sexual misconduct, and corruption. And Americans have watched members of Congress get rich by trading on insider information on stock and prediction markets.

It’s well past time we make it illegal for politicians to profit off of their positions by trading stocks on the very companies they are supposed to regulate. We also must bar all federal employees and elected officials from betting on prediction markets. It’s time to place real penalties on elected officials and insiders who think they deserve to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.While our health care system has been broken for a long time, Congress made the problem even worse last year by voting to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and to hike premium costs on hardworking families.

We need to elect members of Congress who will restore funding to Medicaid, reverse premium cuts, and protect Social Security and Medicare for generations to come. We also must lower costs throughout our health care system, which is why I support negotiating drug prices in the United States – like every other wealthy country does – to keep Americans from being ripped off. We need to build on the Affordable Care Act to lower premiums, deductibles, and surprise medical bills that keep hardworking families from seeking care.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Building an economy that works for all Floridians, tackling corruption and restoring integrity to public service, making health care affordable and accessible, ensuring seniors can retire with dignity, restoring reproductive freedom, and ensuring veterans can access the care they need and benefits they have earned