U.S. House, District 28
Represents Florida's 28th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives; votes on federal laws and spending. Term: 2 years.
Partly verified. Either the November opponent could not be confirmed from available sources, or only a few positions are documented. Confirm the full candidate list on your county sample ballot; unknown positions are shown as such.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Roster from CBS Miami primary roundup and Florida Politics: Carlos Gimenez (R) and Phil 'Felipe' Ehr (D) were each unopposed in their primaries; Eddy Rojas (NPA) makes it a three-way November race.
Debates and forums
- None · Ehr's Sept. 22 proposal for two debates (Miami-Dade and Monroe) remains unanswered as of Oct. 17. No debate.
Carlos Giménez (R), Phil Ehr (D), Eddy Rojas (NPA) invited
Candidates
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Carlos Gimenez
Carlos Gimenez, a former Miami fire chief and Miami-Dade County mayor (2011-2020), has represented the 28th District since January 2021 (elected in the old 26th). He was unopposed in the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary. In 2026 he has publicly urged the administration to change its ICE enforcement strategy and to 'no…
Phil "Felipe" Ehr
Phil 'Felipe' Ehr is a retired U.S. Navy commander who served from 1982 to 2008, including roles supporting Cold War-era operations, Desert Storm and Allied Force; his campaign says he has since completed humanitarian aid delivery missions in Ukraine. He was the Democratic nominee in Florida's 1st District in 2020 and…
Eddy Rojas
Eddy Rojas is an independent (no party affiliation) candidate on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot for District 28, making it a three-way race with Gimenez and Ehr. Ballotpedia says he was born in Cuba, immigrated to Miami, began his career as a valet and later established several companies; his platform says he plans to bring …
Side-by-side on the major issues
AgreeDiffer a littleDiffer stronglyNot enough data· hover for details, click to jump to the row
Taxes & spendingHousing affordabilityImmigrationAbortionGunsHealth careSocial Security & MedicareEducation & school choiceEnvironment & waterElections & votingCrime & policingGender identity lawsEnergy & utilitiesTariffs & tradeUkraineTrump administrationVeterans
Where the candidates in this race split, issue by issue.
Strongly agreesLeans agreeMixed / neutralLeans disagreeStrongly disagreesNo public position found
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
Show:
| Issue | Carlos Gimenez Republican | Phil "Felipe" Ehr Democratic | Eddy Rojas No Party Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Strongly agrees· based on record Gimenez co-signed the Florida Republican letter supporting H.R. 1 and voted for the bill, which extended the 2017 tax cuts and reduced Medicaid and SNAP spending. Sources: Buchanan leads Florida Republican letter in support of One … (2025-06) · Webster and Florida Republicans support passage of One Big … (2025-07) · House Roll Call 190 on H.R. 1 (final passage, 218-214), Jul… (2025-07-03) · H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act (119th Congress) - Congr… (2025-07-04) | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Rojas says he would cut what he calls burdensome regulations and lower taxes on small businesses as a way to bring jobs to Miami. |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| ImmigrationImmigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally. | Mixed / neutral· stated position Gimenez voted for the Laken Riley Act and petitioned DHS to deport Castro-regime agents, but in 2026 said the administration's ICE enforcement strategy 'was a mistake,' that detention should be reserved for criminals, gang members and people with deportation orders rather than 20-year residents, that deporting Haitian TPS holders 'would be a huge mistake,' and that longtime immigrants should be 'normalized' along the lines of DACA. Sources: GOP Congressman warns Trump admin ICE enforcement strategy … (2026) · Carlos Gimenez urges normalization of longtime US immigrant… (2026) · ICE reportedly set to ramp up operations against Haitian mi… (2026-07-27) · Carlos Gimenez questions the need for more ICE detention ce… (2026-02) · Congressman Gimenez petitions DHS to deport Castro regime a… (2025-03) · House Roll Call 23 on S. 5, Laken Riley Act (263-156), Jan.… (2025-01-22) · S.5 - Laken Riley Act (119th Congress) - Congress.gov (2025-01-29) | Leans disagree· stated position Would protect law-abiding immigrant families and create a path to residency while targeting criminals and traffickers. Sources: Ehr for Congress - Home (2026-09-18) | Leans agree· stated position Rojas lists securing the border among his public-safety priorities. His platform does not address deportation of people already in the country. |
| AbortionAbortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened). | Strongly disagrees· based on record SBA Pro-Life America's scorecard says Gimenez has voted consistently to 'defend the lives of the unborn' and to block tax dollars from paying for abortion, including abortion travel expenses. | Strongly agrees· stated position Ehr says he will vote to codify Roe v. Wade's protections into law and describes the goal as ending government overreach on reproductive decisions. | No public position found |
| GunsGun laws should be stricter (keep the red-flag law and the age-21 purchase rule; expand background checks) rather than looser (permitless or open carry, lower purchase age). | Leans agree· based on record Gimenez voted for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8, 2021), which would extend background checks to private-party firearm transfers; no position on red-flag laws or the 21 purchase age was found. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Health careGovernment should expand its role in health coverage (expand Medicaid in Florida, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies). | Leans disagree· based on record Gimenez voted for H.R. 1 (2025); the Florida GOP letter he signed says the bill protects Medicaid 'for American citizens' by adding work requirements and removing waste, fraud and abuse, while CBO projected coverage losses. | Leans agree· stated position Would lower premiums and expand access through a 'Healthcare Stability & Program Choice Act'. Sources: Ehr for Congress - Home (2026-09-18) | No public position found |
| Social Security & MedicareSocial Security and Medicare benefits must be protected from any cuts, even if that requires more revenue. | 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. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Rojas says he would protect Medicare for seniors and work to lower prescription drug costs and expand telehealth. |
| Education & school choicePublic money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers). | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Opposes the Schools of Hope amendment, saying charter operators would compete with and recruit from public schools. | Leans agree· stated position Rojas says he would fight for school choice, along with vocational training and more affordable higher education. He does not specify what voucher or scholarship programs he would support. |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Would protect the Everglades and water resources and seek a moratorium on large AI data centers. Sources: Ehr for Congress - Home (2026-09-18) | No public position found |
| Elections & votingVoting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions. | Leans disagree· based on record Gimenez voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22, April 2025), which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote (passed 220-208 with every voting Republican in favor). | No public position found | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Leans agree· based on record Voted for the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act (H.R. 2096), the 2025 bill repealing parts of the District of Columbia police-accountability law; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward tougher policing. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Rojas says he would support law enforcement and border security while also investing in community programs, combining both approaches. |
| Gender identity lawsFlorida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place. | 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. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Energy & utilitiesGovernment should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production. | Leans disagree· based on record 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. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Tariffs & tradeTariffs on imported goods are good for the American economy. | Leans agree· stated position In November 2024 Gimenez applauded President-elect Trump's proposed 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada as leverage until the drug and border crises are resolved; a broader statement on tariffs' economic effects was not found. | Leans disagree· stated position Criticizes the administration's trade wars for driving up prices. | No public position found |
| UkraineThe U.S. should continue military aid to Ukraine. | Strongly agrees· based on record Gimenez voted for the $60.8 billion Ukraine Security Supplemental (H.R. 8035, April 2024), one of five Florida Republicans to do so. | Leans agree· stated position Ehr's campaign says he completed dozens of humanitarian aid delivery missions in Ukraine for people who 'risked it all for freedom'; an explicit position on continued U.S. military aid was not captured. | No public position found |
| Trump administrationI approve of the direction of the Trump administration. | Leans agree· stated position Gimenez supported the administration's 2025 tax bill and tariff proposals and praised the January 2026 capture of Nicolas Maduro, but has said the administration's ICE enforcement strategy 'was a mistake' and needed a course correction. | No public position found | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Would pursue a VA hospital or major medical facility in South Dade. Sources: Ehr for Congress - Home (2026-09-18) | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
RepublicanDemocraticNo Party Affiliation· photo or initials inside each bubble · hover or tap for details
Not enough documented positions to place: Phil "Felipe" EhrEddy Rojas
Phil "Felipe" EhrEddy RojasHow the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree), Teacher and staff pay (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree), Library and classroom materials (agree), School safety approach (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Gimenez | 0.75 (4 statements) | 0.71 (7 statements) |
| Phil "Felipe" Ehr | not enough data | -1.50 (4 statements) |
| Eddy Rojas | not enough data | 1.00 (3 statements) |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Carlos Gimenez
- ICE detention oversight — He conducted a fact-finding visit to an ICE facility in June 2025 and in 2026 questioned the need for more detention centers, saying they should hold criminals and people with deportation orders.
- Normalizing longtime immigrants / DACA — He urged the administration to find a way to 'normalize' immigrants who have worked and lived in the U.S. for years, citing DACA as a model.
- Venezuela and Cuba — He issued statements on the capture of Nicolas Maduro, said 'we are ready for Cuba,' petitioned DHS to deport Castro-regime agents, and applauded TPS extensions for Venezuelans.
- Haitian TPS — He said deporting Haitians currently under TPS back to Haiti 'would be a huge mistake.'
- Tariffs as border leverage — He backed proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada tied to the drug and border crises.
Phil "Felipe" Ehr
- Moratorium on large AI data centers — He proposes a temporary moratorium on large-scale AI data centers and other high-impact developments.
- Protecting the VA — He says he will stand against the 'quiet dismantling' of the VA and expand rather than privatize veterans' care.
- ICE/CBP reform — He calls for transparency, accountability and training reforms for ICE and CBP, including proper identification and use-of-force rules.
- Everglades and water — Protecting the Everglades and water resources is part of his platform.
- Veterans' bicycle tour — Ehr led a five-day, 197-mile veterans' bicycle ride from Homestead to Key West timed to the start of voting, highlighting his Navy service.
- Election legitimacy and national security — Accepting the National Security Leaders for America endorsement at his Homestead headquarters opening on Sept. 19, Ehr said members of Congress should not undermine confidence in U.S. elections. The group's criteria for opposing a candidate include denying legitimate election results; Gimenez voted on Jan. 6, 2021 to sustain objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes.
- Debate challenge — On Sept. 22 Ehr sent formal invitations to Gimenez and Rojas for two debates, one in Miami-Dade and one in Monroe County, listing affordability, housing, property insurance, government ethics, health care, retirement security, immigration, foreign policy, the environment and development as topics.
Eddy Rojas
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.