U.S. House, Florida 26th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Florida's 26th Congressional District?
Mario Diaz-Balart has the strongest record in Florida's 26th Congressional District. Mario Diaz-Balart scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mario Diaz-Balart's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey (2 of 15 criteria) and Nicole Locklin (5 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.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Mario Diaz-Balart
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 56
No Party Affiliation
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 2 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Nicole Locklin
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- 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.
Mario Diaz-Balart
- Mark against2019-06-28
The FEC closed an administrative fine case against his campaign committee with a $5,555 penalty for 2018 48-hour contribution notices it did not receive.
Source: FEC administrative fines search
- On the record2026-01-08
Voted to override President Trump's veto of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act in January 2026 when Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise voted to sustain it.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 8, 2026
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Yea on both House objections to certified presidential electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania in January 2021, after signing the House amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania in December 2020.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
- Credit2026
Sponsored the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, whose provisions GovTrack shows were enacted through other measures.
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Nicole Locklin
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.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 was filed May 11, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter found. His only periodic transaction report since 2019 was filed on time.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076701, House Committee on Ethics site search for Diaz-Balart
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Nicole Locklin. A House candidate financial disclosure for FL26 was filed June 15, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081070, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mario Diaz-Balart. In 2026 voted to override President Trump's veto of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act and for a bill granting Haiti temporary protected status, both times against Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 8, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 120, 2026
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mario Diaz-Balart. No public record found.
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mario Diaz-Balart. In elected office since the Florida House in the 1980s and in Congress since 2003. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Mario Diaz-Balart
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. 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.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Voted Yea on the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors, and signed the December 2020 House amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mario Diaz-Balart. In the U.S. House since 2003, seeking a 13th term, after service in the Florida House and Florida Senate.
Sources: GovTrack, Mario Diaz-Balart, Ballotpedia, Mario Diaz-Balart
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. An attorney with a 2015 law degree who says she has spent more than a decade in litigation, technology, health care and privacy law. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Nicole Locklin
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and chair of its Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs; sponsor of that subcommittee's enacted fiscal 2026 bill.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, GovTrack, H.R. 4779 (119th Congress)
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. Publishes positions on affordability, housing and insurance, Social Security and Medicare, war powers and corruption, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Offers an e-newsletter and publishes issue pages on his office site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Mario Diaz-Balart
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and publishes plain-language issue pages.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Nicole Locklin, Campaign site, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Born in Fort Lauderdale, began public service as a Miami mayoral aide in 1985 and represented Miami-Dade in the Florida Legislature. FEC by-state totals show about 37 percent of itemized individual contributions from Florida.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mario Diaz-Balart, FEC contribution totals by state
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mario Diaz-Balart. The FEC assessed a $5,555 administrative fine against his committee for 2018 48-hour contribution notices not received, closed June 28, 2019.
Source: FEC administrative fines search
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Nicole Locklin. Campaign 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.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Legislative Effectiveness Score meets expectations in the 118th Congress (1.55 against a 1.50 benchmark), and he sponsored the fiscal 2024 and 2026 State and foreign operations appropriations bills that GovTrack counts as enacted.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Missed 694 of 15,180 roll call votes, 4.6 percent, from January 2003 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Keeps district offices in Doral and Naples and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, Contact, Office site, home page
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mario Diaz-Balart. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.23250 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 176, a negative score outside the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mario Diaz-Balart. No public record found.
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. No public record found.
Nicole Locklin. 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 26th Congressional District?
Mario Diaz-Balart has the strongest record in Florida's 26th Congressional District. Mario Diaz-Balart scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mario Diaz-Balart's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey (2 of 15 criteria) and Nicole Locklin (5 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 26th Congressional District in 2026?
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, incumbent), Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey (No Party Affiliation), Nicole Locklin (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mario Diaz-Balart a good candidate for Congress?
Mario Diaz-Balart scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey a good candidate for Congress?
Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey has public evidence on 2 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 Nicole Locklin a good candidate for Congress?
Nicole Locklin has public evidence on 5 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.