Bale Dalton

Age: 45

Registered political party: Democratic

Where they live: Sanford

Where they work: Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve

Prior work experience: Former Chief of Staff at NASA, Military Legislative Assistant to Sen. Bill Nelson, and Commanding Officer of 450 sailors in the U.S. Navy’s only dedicated special operations support helicopter squadron.

Prior political experience: None to report.

Platform: “Life is too expensive right now, and Congressman Cory Mills is too corrupt to fix it. I’m running to lower costs — from health care, to insurance, to groceries — and to give Central Floridians honest, responsive representation again.”

Why they are running: “After 23 years in the Navy — flying medevac helicopters in Iraq, leading combat missions against ISIS, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban, and later helping lead NASA — I know what real service looks like. It’s courage, sacrifice, and putting the mission, and the people, first. I’m running for Congress because Central Florida deserves leaders who put people ahead of politics, lower costs, and deliver results — not politicians who are only in it for themselves.”

Most recent campaign finance report: $1.2 million, with no money doated from the candidate themselves, according to Federal Elections Commission data of July 27.

Endorsements:

Candidate website

Fun fact about the candidate: Certified as a commercial airplane and helicopter pilot.

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Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. The No. 1 problem we need to address is Central Florida’s cost-of-living emergency. Making Florida affordable again requires reversing this administration’s illegal tariff taxes, repealing the health care premium hikes that Congressman Cory Mills voted for repeatedly and avoiding wars of choice that have sent our gas prices through the roof. We have also seen property insurers and utility providers hike their prices in the absence of any real competition. Tallahassee isn’t acting, so we need federal representatives who will provide real oversight.With housing prices going through the roof, I also support legislation to ban Wall Street from buying up homes, while investing in building. We need a wide-ranging affordability agenda, carried forward by representatives who will fight for hardworking families – not billionaires and special interests. That’s why I support cutting taxes for working people, not the ultra-wealthy.
2. Our current cost of living crisis is also rooted in DC corruption – as politicians sell out their constituents and cash in on inside information. Our current Congressman, Cory Mills, is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for corruption, campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct. His corruption has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats. Tackling DC corruption starts with sending Rep. Mills packing, but it cannot end there. We need to place real penalties on politicians and insiders who get rich by betting against America and trading on insider information. This means banning Congressional stock trading, outlawing insiders and politicians from betting on prediction markets, and overturning Citizens United to reform our broken campaign finance system from the inside out.
3. Florida is facing a healthcare and retirement crisis at all levels. As mentioned, Congressman Mills has voted repeatedly to raise health insurance premiums on hardworking families by thousands of dollars every month. This is a crisis of Congress’s own making, and one of my first priorities would be reversing these premium hikes, along with the cuts to Medicaid Rep. Cory Mills voted for. Further action is needed, however, to protect Social Security and Medicare for seniors who have paid into these programs for all of their lives, and who deserve to retire with dignity. With these programs set to go bankrupt, we must eliminate tax loopholes which allow the ultra-wealthy to avoid paying into these programs. We need to shore up our insurance coverage at every level of the system to ensure that, in the richest country on Earth, no one is one ER visit away from bankruptcy.

For incumbents: Why do you deserve re-election to this race? For challengers and open seats: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?
I have spent my life in public service and leadership. As a Navy helicopter pilot and combat veteran, I deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and the Pacific – and worked with [Florida’s former] Sen. [Bill] Nelson to protect Florida veterans, and helped lead over 16,000 employees as the Chief of Staff at NASA. Serious times call for serious leaders, which Florida’s Seventh District has been sorely lacking. I was born and raised in Central Florida. It makes me furious to see my friends and neighbors struggling while Congressman Mills – a foreign arms dealer who’s been slapped with a restraining order – is bogged down with his own ethics investigations in DC. I’m in this race to tackle corruption and lower the cost of living for our community, and will fight every day to deliver a better deal for Central Florida.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
The median age of first-time home buyers rose to 40 years old last year for one simple reason: housing is too expensive. The sticker price of first-time-homes has skyrocketed, alongside HOA fees, high interest rates and rising property insurance costs.

Addressing these challenges requires building more housing at all income levels – and banning Wall Street speculators from buying up homes, driving up the cost of housing across our neighborhoods. We also need to provide meaningful oversight into property insurers, who have been hiking rates with no return in service or coverage provided when storms do arrive. Congressman Cory Mills supports the tariffs that raise the cost of building more housing — I oppose those tariffs.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions?
I will vote no on the governor’s proposal to slash property taxes. While I support tax relief for working families, this proposal would imperil our ability to fund public safety, maintain our roads, and prepare for storms. This proposal is irresponsible and should not be enacted into law.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?
We’ve seen far too often that when large energy users join the grid, they pass the cost onto ratepayers – which is absolutely unacceptable, especially with our utility costs from FPL and Duke Energy already through the roof. Costs should be shouldered by the new users consuming large amounts of electricity, and we must do more to lower energy costs and help hardworking families afford their utility bills.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
I was dismayed to see this administration propose opening Florida’s coast for offshore oil drilling. Florida’s coastline is a key driver of our local economy – and the test ranges off our coasts help power our military and space programs, to keep our nation secure. We must protect our coasts and public lands here in Florida, to ensure that the beautiful state we’re proud to call home is something we can pass along to the next generation.

Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not?
Our immigration system has been broken for decades. I support a comprehensive approach to immigration that secures our border and provides a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers.” Having served in uniform for over 24 years, I believe that border security is national security; but while providing that security, we cannot enforce the law while breaking the law.

Do you believe abortion restrictions in Florida should be more strict, less strict or stay the same?
Florida’s six-week abortion ban has endangered women and girls throughout the state, creating reproductive healthcare deserts and stripping women of the freedom and lifesaving care that Roe protected for over 50 years. The state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee has gone dark since Florida’s abortion ban was passed, indicating the government in Tallahassee will not even measure how many women have been killed by these barbaric restrictions.

Voters in Seminole and Volusia counties were very clear in the 2024 referendum: They want to restore reproductive rights. Congressman Cory Mills supports allowing politicians to ban abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. I side with the voters in our area who want to protect women’s healthcare and abortion rights.

Readers shared concerns about overdevelopment in the Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs community. We know that local municipalities must allow for density based on state population projections. What can be done at the state level to balance property owners’ rights and the desires of your constituents?
Managing responsible growth in our communities, preserving our rural boundary and meeting the growing need for new housing requires ongoing, thoughtful conversations at the local level. Local communities will always have the deepest understanding of these concerns and tradeoffs, which is why I believe local governments should be able to have the final word here – without interference from Tallahassee.

Readers complained about roadway traffic in the community. What steps would you take to address this issue from the office that you’re seeking?
Congestion and traffic accidents remain long-standing issues in Seminole County. I support investments in road safety for our drivers, and support ongoing investments in public transit to provide us with options in our neighborhoods and to ease congestion.

Do you support AI data centers being built in the community? Why or why not? What would you do to curtail or incentivize their development?
We have to balance multiple priorities on this topic: the desire to create good-paying, union jobs in construction, the need to compete against China in emerging technologies, and the very understandable concerns folks have about data centers going up in their backyards, raising utility costs and sucking up all available water.

Given those concerns, I am opposed to building any data center that doesn’t:

1. Have support from the local community. Buy-in must come directly from those who are affected, with no state or federal bypasses involved.
2. Prevent electricity costs from going up for other rate payers. Neighborhood residents should not have to shoulder a dime for AI data centers.
3. Contain a closed loop or closed water system to prevent massive water use, especially in areas that cannot spare fresh water. 

How do you balance the idea of home rule when state lawmakers preempt decisions from local governments?
I support the principle of home rule, and the protection of Seminole County’s rural boundary. These decisions have been discussed and debated at the local level and should not be interfered with by overzealous developers or politicians in Tallahassee.

Do you support the rural boundary in Seminole County? How do you balance that with private landowners’ rights to build?
I strongly support the rural boundary. Seminole County voters have already spoken on this topic, and their voices should be listened to without interference from Tallahassee. Over-building in rural spaces within Seminole County would threaten the area’s aquifer and unique character, and should not be done in violation of voters’ wishes.