U.S. House, Florida 21st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Florida's 21st Congressional District?
Brian Mast has the strongest record in Florida's 21st Congressional District. Brian Mast scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Alexander Cooke at 56 and James T. Martin at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Brian Mast's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Alexander Cooke's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. David Fabrikant (3 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
No Party Affiliation
Alexander Cooke
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
David Fabrikant
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
James T. Martin
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Brian Mast
64 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
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.
Alexander Cooke
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
David Fabrikant
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
James T. Martin
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Brian Mast
- Mark against2022-08-12
A transaction report filed Aug. 12, 2022 disclosed a Feb. 16, 2021 sale of Ideal Power stock, more than a year after the STOCK Act deadline; Business Insider reported another late disclosure.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20021543, Business Insider, via Yahoo News
- Mark against2021-01-06
Voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
- Mark against2020-08-26
In August 2020 apologized for 'disgusting and inappropriate jokes' about rape and sex with underage girls that he posted on Facebook in 2009 and 2011.
Sources: WPTV, Aug. 26, 2020, Washington Examiner, Aug. 26, 2020
- On the record2026-10-09
PolitiFact has rated one of his statements, its only check of him, False.
Source: PolitiFact, Brian Mast scorecard
- Credit2025
Chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the 119th Congress.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
- Credit2025-04-15
Held three open town halls in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties on April 15, 2025.
Sources: WPTV, WFLX / WPTV, April 15, 2025
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Alexander Cooke. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed July 19, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075168, FEC administrative fines search
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Jan. 4, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10072761, FEC administrative fines search
Brian Mast. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 13, 2026. Some stock transactions were reported after the STOCK Act deadline, reported by one outlet (see Record). No ethics or FEC finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076430, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Voted against bills backed by his party's leadership: the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the September 2023 stopgap, the March 2024 spending package and the April 2024 Ukraine aid bill.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023 (H.R. 3746), House Clerk Roll Call 513, 2023 (H.R. 5860), House Clerk Roll Call 102, 2024 (H.Res. 1102), House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024 (H.R. 8035)
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Held open in-person town halls in each of the district's three counties on April 15, 2025. No 2026 general election debate with James Martin was found.
Sources: WPTV, WFLX / WPTV, April 15, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Alexander Cooke. Served as mayor of Juno Beach and has a career as a financial executive. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Palm Beach Post, via AOL, March 20, 2024, Ballotpedia, Alexander Cooke
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. Served nearly a decade on active duty in the Coast Guard, commanding cutters, and as chief of staff for national security affairs in the Office of the Vice President. No conduct finding found.
Source: CBS12, Aug. 2026
Brian Mast. Army explosive ordnance disposal veteran and U.S. representative since 2017; chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Office site, home page, GovTrack, Brian Mast
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Alexander Cooke. Held sworn local office as a Juno Beach council member and mayor. No official finding of misuse of office found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. Served nearly a decade on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard and remains a reservist. No official finding of misuse found.
Source: CBS12, Aug. 2026
Brian Mast. Voted Yea on the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Alexander Cooke. Former mayor of Juno Beach (to 2024) and a financial executive.
Sources: Palm Beach Post, via AOL, March 20, 2024, Ballotpedia, Alexander Cooke
David Fabrikant. Attorney with a 2000 law degree from St. Thomas University. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, David Fabrikant
James T. Martin. Commanded Coast Guard cutters during nearly a decade of active duty and served as a national security chief of staff in the Office of the Vice President.
Source: CBS12, Aug. 2026
Brian Mast. In his fifth term in the U.S. House since January 2017, after Army service as an explosive ordnance disposal technician.
Source: GovTrack, Brian Mast
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Alexander Cooke. Publishes five issue pillars, including property insurance, Lake Okeechobee discharges and small business, with some specific aims.
Source: Campaign site, home page
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. Publishes priorities on cost of living, clean water and other issues, with some specific proposals such as antitrust enforcement and ending tariffs.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Brian Mast. Chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee and serves on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Alexander Cooke. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes issue pages.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Alexander Cooke, Campaign site, home page
David Fabrikant. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, David Fabrikant
James T. Martin. Publishes plain-language issue pages and gives local TV interviews. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, James Martin
Brian Mast. Holds town halls, offers an email newsletter and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: WPTV, Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Brian Mast
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Alexander Cooke. Former mayor of Juno Beach, in the district's northern Palm Beach County area; his filing address is in Jupiter. FEC shows $2,750 of $3,750 itemized from Florida.
Sources: Palm Beach Post, via AOL, March 20, 2024, Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, FEC contribution totals by state
David Fabrikant. His filing address is in Jupiter, in the district's Palm Beach County portion.
James T. Martin. Described as a fourth-generation Floridian; his filing address is in Hobe Sound. FEC by-state totals show about 73 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: CBS12, Aug. 2026, Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, FEC contribution totals by state
Brian Mast. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan; his filing address is in Stuart, in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 42 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Wikipedia, Brian Mast, Florida Division of Elections, candidate detail, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Alexander Cooke. 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
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Brian Mast. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Legislative Effectiveness Score 1.48 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.47, meets expectations. Primary sponsor of 7 enacted bills.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Missed 142 of 5,079 roll call votes, 2.8 percent, from January 2017 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Offers casework and help with federal agencies and veterans, and held town halls in all three district counties in 2025.
Sources: Office site, home page, WPTV
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.58782 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 239th of 436, a negative score outside the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Alexander Cooke. No public record found.
David Fabrikant. No public record found.
James T. Martin. No public record found.
Brian Mast. 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 21st Congressional District?
Brian Mast has the strongest record in Florida's 21st Congressional District. Brian Mast scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Alexander Cooke at 56 and James T. Martin at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Brian Mast's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Alexander Cooke's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. David Fabrikant (3 of 15 criteria) has 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 21st Congressional District in 2026?
Alexander Cooke (No Party Affiliation), David Fabrikant (Write-in), James T. Martin (Democratic), Brian Mast (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Alexander Cooke a good candidate for Congress?
Alexander Cooke scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is David Fabrikant a good candidate for Congress?
David Fabrikant 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.
Is James T. Martin a good candidate for Congress?
James T. Martin scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Brian Mast a good candidate for Congress?
Brian Mast scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
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.