U.S. House, Florida 19th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Florida's 19th Congressional District?
No candidate in Florida's 19th Congressional District has enough public record yet for a Ballot Standard score, as of October 9, 2026. Victor Arias (7 of 15 criteria), Seth Haskin (6 of 15 criteria), Jim Schwartzel (7 of 15 criteria) and Alexandra Zakhvatayev (3 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Victor Arias
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 38
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
No Party Affiliation
Seth Haskin
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 45
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Jim Schwartzel
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
Alexandra Zakhvatayev
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Victor Arias
- Mark against2022-01-28
The Florida Bar admonished him for minor misconduct on Jan. 28, 2022 (case 202010147); an admission of minor misconduct is on file. The public record online does not describe the conduct.
Sources: The Florida Bar, member profile 879096 (Internet Archive copy, May 2025), The Florida Bar, documents for disciplinary action (Internet Archive copy, January 2026), House candidate financial disclosure, 2026
Seth Haskin
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Jim Schwartzel
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Victor Arias. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through Sept. 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed July 9, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081219, FEC administrative fines search
Seth Haskin. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Sept. 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082851, FEC administrative fines search
Jim Schwartzel. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed July 17, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076728, FEC administrative fines search
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Victor Arias. The Florida Bar admonished him for minor misconduct on Jan. 28, 2022 (case 202010147). It is the only discipline in the Bar's 10-year public record.
Sources: The Florida Bar, member profile 879096 (Internet Archive copy, May 2025), The Florida Bar, documents for disciplinary action (Internet Archive copy, January 2026)
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. Has led a Southwest Florida radio and television company as president. No conduct finding found.
Source: Business Observer, Nov. 14, 2025
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Victor Arias. Has run his own Cape Coral law firm since 2003 after working as an attorney for the School District of Lee County. Has not held public office.
Seth Haskin. Works as a business manager and earned a bachelor's degree in 2022; no other leadership experience is documented.
Source: Ballotpedia, Seth Haskin
Jim Schwartzel. President of Sun Broadcasting, which owns radio and TV stations in Southwest Florida, and owner of local media outlets. Has not held public office.
Sources: Business Observer, Nov. 14, 2025, Fort Myers Beach Talk, Aug. 20, 2026
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. Describes herself as a Southwest Florida journalist and communications professional who reported from Ukraine and founded Kyiv Free Press. Has not held public office.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Victor Arias. Names the economy, water quality and the environment as his main issues and supports lowering grocery and gas prices, in general terms.
Seth Haskin. Publishes a platform built on strict constitutionalism, rule of law and transparency, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Jim Schwartzel. Publishes priorities on supporting the president's agenda, term limits, water quality and the economy, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Issues
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Victor Arias. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. His campaign site did not render issue text when checked.
Source: Ballotpedia, Victor Arias
Seth Haskin. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes a platform page.
Jim Schwartzel. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025 and publishes issue pages.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Victor Arias. Moved to Southwest Florida in 1999 and has practiced law in Cape Coral since 2003. FEC by-state totals show about 93 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Fort Myers Beach Talk, Aug. 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Seth Haskin. His filing address is in Fort Myers. He was a candidate in Wisconsin in 2022 and 2024. No itemized individual contributions reported through June 30, 2026.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, Ballotpedia, Seth Haskin
Jim Schwartzel. Grew up in Fort Myers and attended local schools. FEC by-state totals show about 85 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Fort Myers Beach Talk, Aug. 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. Her filing address is in Cape Coral, in Lee County.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Victor Arias. Owns and manages a law firm since 2003. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through Sept. 30, 2026, with no administrative fine found.
Sources: Fort Myers Beach Talk, Aug. 20, 2026, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Seth Haskin. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jim Schwartzel. President of a company that owns four FM radio stations, one full-power and three low-power TV stations. FEC reports are on file with no administrative fine found.
Sources: Business Observer, Nov. 14, 2025, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Victor Arias. No public record found.
Seth Haskin. No public record found.
Jim Schwartzel. No public record found.
Alexandra Zakhvatayev. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Florida's 19th Congressional District?
No candidate in Florida's 19th Congressional District has enough public record yet for a Ballot Standard score, as of October 9, 2026. Victor Arias (7 of 15 criteria), Seth Haskin (6 of 15 criteria), Jim Schwartzel (7 of 15 criteria) and Alexandra Zakhvatayev (3 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Florida's 19th Congressional District in 2026?
Victor Arias (Democratic), Seth Haskin (No Party Affiliation), Jim Schwartzel (Republican), Alexandra Zakhvatayev (Write-in). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Victor Arias a good candidate for Congress?
Victor Arias has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Seth Haskin a good candidate for Congress?
Seth Haskin has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Jim Schwartzel a good candidate for Congress?
Jim Schwartzel has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Alexandra Zakhvatayev a good candidate for Congress?
Alexandra Zakhvatayev has public evidence on 3 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Florida race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Florida 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.