Bale Dalton, Florida

Bale Dalton served 23 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a captain after leading a squadron of 400 service members in operations against al-Qaeda and ISIS. He went on to serve as Chief of Staff of NASA, helping oversee an agency of 16,500 employees, and worked in the private aerospace sector before entering politics. Raised in Orlando as the son of a federal judge, he was named to the DCCC's Red to Blue program and won a competitive Democratic primary for the open seat in Florida's 7th District after incumbent Cory Mills lost his Republican primary. His priorities center on lowering the cost of living for Florida families, expanding health care access, strengthening national security, and banning congressional stock trading.