Mario Diaz-Balart
Mario Diaz-Balart has served in the U.S. House since 2003 and previously served in the Florida Legislature. He chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs. He was unopposed in the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary for the 26th District. Local coverage describes the redrawn district as including southwest Broward communities such as Miramar and Pembroke Pines.
How they got on the ballot: Unopposed in Aug 18, 2026 Republican primary (CBS Miami)
Campaign finance (FEC filings through 10/14/2026): raised $2,763,196, spent $2,906,303, cash on hand $1,676,213; $1,586,497 from individual donors, $1,167,400 from PACs. FEC filings ↗
Sources last checked 2026-07. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Strongly agrees· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for H.R. 1 (2025) and said it 'responsibly reduces excess spending' while making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, which he said averted a 24% tax hike for the average FL-26 taxpayer.
Immigration Mixed / neutral· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for the Laken Riley Act (mandatory detention for certain arrested unauthorized immigrants) and for border-security funding in H.R. 1, but opposed the administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and co-sponsored earlier TPS protection legislation, calling for case-by-case relief.
Abortion Strongly disagrees· based on record
SBA Pro-Life America's scorecard says Diaz-Balart has voted consistently to protect the unborn and to stop taxpayer funding of abortion; his office says he protected long-standing pro-life provisions in FY26 appropriations. NARAL has rated his voting record 0%.
Health care Leans disagree· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for H.R. 1 (2025), which added Medicaid work requirements and other changes the CBO projected would reduce coverage; he says the bill protects Medicaid and Medicare benefits 'for eligible Americans in need.'
Social Security & Medicare Leans agree· based on record
Voted for the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), the 2024 law repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, raising benefits for some public-sector retirees.
Elections & voting Leans disagree· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22, April 2025), which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote (it passed 220-208 with every voting Republican in favor); in 2026 he weighed in on adding SAVE America Act provisions to a reconciliation package.
Gender identity laws Leans agree· based on record
Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), the 2025 bill barring transgender girls and women from female school sports under Title IX; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward keeping restrictions in place.
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for H.R. 1 (2025) and highlighted that it would 'unleash American energy' by reversing Biden-era energy policies; no statement supporting renewable mandates or utility-rate oversight was found.
Ukraine Strongly agrees· based on record
Diaz-Balart voted for the $60.8 billion Ukraine Security Supplemental (H.R. 8035, April 2024), saying lawmakers could 'turn our heads away and hope to appease this great evil, or we can stand with our allies.'
"stand with our allies and confront this nefarious scourge"
Trump administration Leans agree· stated position
Diaz-Balart repeatedly praised 'President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill' and voted for it, but publicly opposed the administration's move to end TPS for Venezuelans.
No public position found on 7 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Guns, Education & school choice, Environment & water, Crime & policing, Tariffs & trade, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Venezuelan TPS and case-by-case relief — He opposed ending TPS for Venezuelans and, with Reps. Gimenez and Salazar, issued a joint statement in solidarity with Venezuelans.
- Appropriations / national security funding — As subcommittee chair he touts FY26 appropriations bills for 'stronger national security, less waste.'
- Tax relief — He emphasizes making the 2017 tax cuts permanent.
- Border security funding — He cites H.R. 1's border-security investments.
- Detention of exiled Nicaraguan journalist — Diaz-Balart said he was 'deeply troubled' by ICE's detention of exiled Nicaraguan journalist Luis Chavarria-Galeano and that the U.S. must not lose sight of the difference between criminals and people fleeing political repression.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted YES on H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (final passage July 3, 2025).
- Voted YES on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5, Jan. 22, 2025).
- Voted YES on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22, April 10, 2025).
- Voted YES on the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8035, April 20, 2024).
- Publicly opposed the 2025 termination of TPS for Venezuelans.
- Chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing State Department and foreign operations funding.
- Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), the 2025 law requiring federal detention of unauthorized immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes and letting states sue over immigration enforcement.
- Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), the 2025 bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), the July 2025 budget law that made the 2017 tax cuts permanent and added new deductions while cutting Medicaid and food-assistance spending.
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), the July 2025 budget law that added Medicaid work requirements and eligibility checks projected to reduce coverage.
- Voted for the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 26), the 2025 bill barring a presidential moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without an act of Congress; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward fossil-fuel production.
- Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), the 2025 bill barring transgender girls and women from female school sports under Title IX; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward keeping restrictions in place.
- Voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 21), the 2025 bill setting criminal penalties for providers who fail to care for an infant born alive after an attempted abortion; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward more abortion restrictions.
- Voted for the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), the 2024 law repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, raising benefits for some public-sector retirees.
- Voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 93, a War Powers Resolution directing the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran (Roll Call 307, Sept. 15, 2026; agreed to 220-204).
- Voted Yea on the motion to table H.Res. 1486, a resolution impeaching President Trump (Roll Call 298, Sept. 15, 2026; tabled 232-147 with 47 voting present). A Yea vote set the resolution aside; a Nay vote would have kept it before the House.
- Voted Yea on H.J.Res. 210 and Yea on H.J.Res. 213, Congressional Review Act resolutions disapproving EPA authorizations of California's at-berth ocean-going vessel and commercial harbor craft diesel-emission rules (Roll Calls 306 and 311, Sept. 15-16, 2026; passed 216-211 and 214-208).
- Co-sponsored Rep. Carlos Gimenez's SCREEN Act, filed Sept. 25, 2026, which would let the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children share child-exploitation reports with the State and Homeland Security Departments for visa screening.
- Co-led a letter with Rep. Neal Dunn to House Republican leadership, signed by 19 other House Republicans including 11 from Florida, asking for changes to the Protect College Sports Act before the House takes it up, objecting to limits on conference size and to a requirement that a school changing conferences spend three years as an independent.
- Co-signed the Moody-Buchanan letter asking the Department of War to increase Florida's National Guard allocation after Hurricane Isaias.
- Voted for H.R. 1 (2025), the budget reconciliation law that extended the 2017 tax cuts, added Medicaid work requirements, reduced clean-energy tax credits and funded expanded immigration enforcement.