Democrat Nicole Locklin Challenges Longtime Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart in Redrawn 26th Congressional District

Democratic attorney Nicole Locklin is trying to unseat U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart in Florida's 26th Congressional District, a Republican stronghold in northwest Miami-Dade County that was redrawn this year to drop Collier County and add part of southwest Broward County. Díaz-Balart, who has served in Congress since 2003, is the heavy favorite in the Nov. 3 election, but the race has become a test of how affordability, the war with Iran and immigration enforcement are playing in some of South Florida's most heavily immigrant communities.

Locklin, 38, is running in a district the state's redistricting reshaped, WPLG Local 10 reported. A third candidate, Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey, is running without a party affiliation.

The candidates

Díaz-Balart, 65, is one of the longest-serving members of Florida's congressional delegation. He served in the Florida House and Florida Senate from 1988 to 2002 before winning a seat in Congress, and he has represented various South Florida districts since January 2003, including the 26th since 2023. He sits on the House Appropriations Committee, where he has chaired a subcommittee, and he is a cosponsor of the Dignidad Act, an immigration bill. His brother, Lincoln Díaz-Balart, represented a neighboring district from 1993 to 2011.

In 2024, Díaz-Balart defeated Democrat Joey Atkins with about 70.9% of the vote to Atkins' 29.1%, a margin of nearly 42 percentage points.

Locklin is a Miami attorney who moved to South Florida from California. She describes her candidacy as that of a working professional who feels the same financial squeeze as her would-be constituents. "I would say that I am bringing the experience of real life as a successful professional who is still struggling despite being better off than most people," Locklin told CBS News Miami.

Hosey is pitching herself as an alternative to both parties. "So it's not a matter of join the red team, join the blue team. Let's take a look at the purple team and see if we can focus on what the problem is, and let's bring the solution forward," she told CBS News Miami. She said her work in education and in local government programs for seniors convinced her Congress must focus on the cost of housing, food, utilities and child care.

A district reshaped by redistricting

Under the lines in place from 2023 through 2026, the 26th District combined most of inland Collier County with northwest Miami-Dade, including Doral, Hialeah, Miami Lakes and parts of the city of Miami. The congressional map the Legislature passed in a special session this spring, at the urging of Gov. Ron DeSantis, removed the Collier County portion and added part of southwest Broward County, Local 10 and CBS News Miami reported. Legal challenges to the new map under the state's Fair Districts amendment are pending, but the lines govern this election.

The district remains anchored in heavily Hispanic, immigrant-rich communities. U.S. Census data shows more than 70% of residents in both Doral and Hialeah were born outside the country, CBS News Miami reported.

Affordability and housing

Voters interviewed by both stations put the cost of living at the top of their concerns, from groceries to gasoline. Locklin has made housing a centerpiece. "We need to limit these high rises. You know, the starting condo price is $6 to $10 million, when we have a housing shortage," she told Local 10. She supports Sen. Bernie Sanders' calls to tax billionaires, and she favors lowering tariffs and shifting more of the tax burden to billionaires and large corporations.

Díaz-Balart is running on his record and his clout on the Appropriations Committee. "As a member of Congress, I have actually brought back billions of dollars ... for infrastructure, for Everglades, for law enforcement, to secure our schools, but also for housing," he told Local 10. He told CBS News Miami he has a record of cutting waste, pointing to $12 billion in spending cuts through the subcommittee he chairs, and he highlighted recently passed federal tax breaks for tipped workers and seniors. He favors easing government regulation and taxes.

The Iran war and gas prices

All three candidates link higher fuel costs to the war with Iran, but they split on what should happen next, CBS News Miami reported. Locklin wants an immediate end to the war. Díaz-Balart said U.S. military action was necessary to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and he supports increasing domestic energy production and refining capacity. Hosey wants Congress to debate the war and supports more negotiations with U.S. allies.

Immigration

Immigration may be the sharpest dividing line in a district with large immigrant populations. "I feel bad for a lot people who are scared to go out, especially in Doral, the Venezuelans, and just stay home," voter Ramon Alonzo told CBS News Miami. Locklin supports renewing Temporary Protected Status, wants to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and favors expanding legal immigration pathways and hiring more immigration judges.

Díaz-Balart says securing the border was necessary but has described some of the immigration enforcement that followed as an "overreaction," CBS News Miami reported. He supports legislation that would let undocumented immigrants from certain countries have their cases reviewed individually.

Money and ratings

Díaz-Balart holds a wide financial advantage. Through late July, he reported more than $2.5 million in cash on hand, while Locklin had raised about $348,000, according to Federal Election Commission figures cited in published race summaries. Locklin's FEC summary shows $250,000 of her receipts came from loans she made to her own campaign. Third-quarter reports were due Oct. 15, and The Florida Press was unable to independently confirm the latest totals.

National forecasters have not treated the seat as competitive. The Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball and Inside Elections have each rated it Solid Republican, according to published summaries of their ratings.

What's next

Early voting is underway in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and must be offered in every county from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31. Voters in the 26th District will choose among Díaz-Balart, Locklin and Hosey on Tuesday, Nov. 3.