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Florida's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Florida's 7th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 12, 2026
Primary: August 18, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Florida

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Likely Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Florida's 7th Congressional District
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Florida elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on August 18, 2026, in Florida's 7th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
June 12, 2026
August 18, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Florida utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[1][2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Florida's 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 7

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 7 on August 18, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Jennifer Adams
Jennifer Adams
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
George Bock
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Bale Dalton
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Benjamin Ewers
Image of Marialana Kinter
Marialana Kinter  Candidate Connection
Image of Noah Widmann
Noah Widmann  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Marialana Kinter

Image of Marialana Kinter

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I'm Marialana Kinter, a U.S. Navy veteran, and I'm running for Congress to represent our community here in Central Florida. My understanding of the challenges facing working families isn't academic – it's etched into my life story. Growing up as one of four kids raised by a single mom, I learned early on what it means to stretch every dollar, relying on programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and free school lunches. I know the insecurity that comes with housing instability and the vulnerability of navigating the foster care system. These experiences taught me resilience and showed me the quiet dignity of hard work, even when it felt like the system wasn't giving everyone a fair shot. For me, breaking that cycle meant joining the Navy. It was a path forward, a chance to serve my country and build a different future. In the Navy, I served as a Nuclear Machinist Mate and rose to become a qualified Nuclear Reactor Plant Supervisor, a role demanding discipline, technical expertise, and leadership in high-stakes environments. The military taught me how to execute a mission effectively and forged an unbreakable bond with my fellow service members, instilling a deep, personal understanding that we must honor our promises to veterans. Now, I'm running for Congress because those early lessons, combined with the discipline and commitment learned in service, drive me to fight for the people of Central Florida."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Restoring Trust through Accountability and Integrity: Our government should work for the people, not special interests. I'm committed to fighting corruption, demanding transparency, and bringing ethical leadership back to Washington. Voters can trust me to be a representative who listens, understands, and always puts their interests first, because I know what it's like to feel like the system is rigged.

Rebuilding Our Future by Championing Working Families: I'll fight for economic policies that actually help working people get ahead – making housing and childcare affordable, lowering healthcare costs, and ensuring fair wages. Having experienced economic hardship firsthand, I'm dedicated to creating an economy where hard work leads to security and opportunity for everyone in Central Florida, not just those at the top.

Honoring Our Commitment to Veterans: As a Navy veteran, I will be an unwavering voice for those who served. This means fighting for the timely, comprehensive benefits our veterans have earned, expanding access to quality healthcare (especially mental health services), and supporting their transition to civilian life. We must do more than just thank our veterans; we must act to ensure their sacrifices are honored with concrete support.

Noah Widmann

Image of Noah Widmann

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Born and raised in Central Florida, Noah Widmann didn’t have the easiest childhood. He was raised by a single and disabled mom, and thanks to coaches, teachers, and government programs like food stamps and housing assistance, Noah was able to graduate high school and became one of the first in his family to attend college. At 18, Noah became a father and supported his family by flipping burgers and bagging groceries. But he yearned to contribute more. Noah became an EMT with Marion County Fire Rescue, working 12-hour night shifts, while continuing his education at community college in the mornings. He eventually transferred to Columbia University and then attended Georgetown Law on a scholarship for low-income, first-generation students. Now he’s ready to fight for our Central Florida families and work to make life just a little bit easier for everyone here and build a fair economy that works for us, not just billionaires. Now, Noah is a lawyer fighting for people to get the benefits they are owed and depend on, like Social Security. He intimately understands the life-altering effects program cuts can have on a family. He knows his story is only possible when we support families and give everyone a chance to achieve the American Dream. That’s why Noah is running for Congress."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Noah will fight to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s benefits, and more.

Noah will combat inflation and end these out of control tariffs that are making the cost of living balloon.

Noah will fight against corruption in our government and fight against the special interests. He will push for term limits, getting lobbyists out of power, and banning insider trading by Congress.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Florida

Election information in Florida: Aug. 18, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: July 20, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by July 20, 2026
  • Online: July 20, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 6, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 6, 2026
  • Online: Aug. 6, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 18, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 18, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Aug. 8, 2026 to Aug. 15, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (ET/CT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jennifer Adams Democratic Party $35,056 $29,925 $5,137 As of June 30, 2025
George Bock Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Bale Dalton Democratic Party $343,650 $43,922 $299,728 As of December 31, 2025
Benjamin Ewers Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Marialana Kinter Democratic Party $39,425 $26,907 $12,518 As of December 31, 2025
Noah Widmann Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_fl_congressional_district_07.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 7th the 183rd most Republican district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Florida's 7th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
43.0%56.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Florida, 2024

Florida presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R R D R R D R R R R D R R D D R R R
See also: Party control of Florida state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Florida's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Florida
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 8 8
Republican 2 20 22
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 28 30

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Florida's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Florida, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Ron DeSantis
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Jay Collins
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Cord Byrd
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party James Uthmeier

State legislature

Florida State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 11
     Republican Party 27
     Other 1
     Vacancies 1
Total 40

Florida House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 33
     Republican Party 84
     Other 0
     Vacancies 3
Total 120

Trifecta control

Florida Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R I R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Florida in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Florida, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Florida U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy $10,440 6/12/2026 Source
Florida U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy $6,960 6/12/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The Florida Senate, "Fla. Stat. § 101.021," accessed November 26, 2025
  2. ↑ The Florida Senate, "Fla. Stat. § 97.055," accessed November 26, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Ashley Moody (R)
Rick Scott (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Neal Dunn (R)
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
Anna Luna (R)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
Republican Party (22)
Democratic Party (8)


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