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7th Congressional District · 2026 U.S. House · Unofficial result

U.S. House, 7th District: what did each candidate actually say they'd do?

IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Ryan Elijah (R), Bale Dalton (D) and Libertarian Christopher Dennison were on the general-election ballot. With all 67 counties at 100% of precincts reporting, Elijah leads Dalton by 1,701 votes, about half a percentage point. Our saved sources show no race call and no concession, and the count is unofficial until certified. Check your own address on the Florida Division of Elections voter lookup to confirm your district.

Elijah leadsAll 67 counties at 100% of precincts reporting; no call or concession in our sources; unofficial until certified¹

49.73%Elijah (R): 161,189¹

49.2%Dalton (D): 159,488¹

1.07%Dennison (Libertarian): 3,480¹

1,701Vote margin of 324,157 cast¹

Do they have a plan?

We read every issue on each candidate's own website and checked the same six things for every one. We count what's there. We don't grade whether the ideas are good. Read the full scoring rules

Of the issues on their website, how many...	Bale Dalton	Christopher Dennison	Ryan Elijah
Names a policy	5 of 8	5 of 8	5 of 9
Says how they'd do it	1 of 8	0 of 8	0 of 9
Includes a number or target	0 of 8	0 of 8	0 of 9
Says how it's paid for	0 of 8	0 of 8	0 of 9
Gives a timeline	0 of 8	0 of 8	0 of 9
Points to a record	0 of 8	0 of 8	1 of 9

The candidates, side by side

Each topic shows every candidate's own words on it, in alphabetical order, from their own website. "Nothing on this topic" means their site doesn't cover it. Topic rows are grouped by us from their headings; the scores don't change.

Bale DaltonDemocrat

Christopher DennisonLibertarian

Ryan ElijahRepublican

Who they are

Bale Dalton

Navy helicopter pilot and Navy Reservist, by his own account, and former NASA Chief of Staff.⁴ His Priorities page has eight sections; the Anti-Corruption Plan it links to is credited to the corruption issue.^{4, 5} Both pages criticize his opponent; we scored only his own proposals.

Christopher Dennison

Air Force veteran and youth football coach, by his own account.⁶ His full platform page (/issues) returned nothing we could read; we scored the six planks on /issues-2 plus the Foreign Policy and Supporting Veterans items on his Home page.^{6, 7}

Ryan Elijah

Emmy-winning news anchor and consumer-advocacy reporter, by his own account.³ His Key Objectives page lists nine issues; all nine were scored.²

Abortion

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Abortion, Not a Federal Question"This belongs to the states, and I will not vote to hand Washington power over it in either direction."⁶

None of the six checks

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Guns

Bale Dalton

Protecting Public Safety and Upholding the Second Amendment"We must ensure that our police departments are fully funded and have the resources they need to do their job well."⁴

None of the six checks

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Immigration and the border

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Illegal Immigration"He strongly supports the Save America Act, which ensures only American citizens can vote in our elections"²

Names a policy

Veterans

Bale Dalton

Safeguarding National Security and Caring For Our Veterans"We also must do more to ensure that every single American who serves their country, and their families, receives the benefits that they so rightly earned through their service."⁴

None of the six checks

Christopher Dennison

Supporting Veterans (Home page)"Let Veterans Choose Their Own Care." "Put the benefit in the veteran's hands."⁷

Names a policy

Ryan Elijah

The Military & Veterans"We must also guarantee that our veterans receive the best possible care after their service to our nation."²

None of the six checks

Social Security, Medicare and seniors

Bale Dalton

Fixing Our Broken Health Care System and Protecting Retirement"we need to elect members of Congress who will restore funding to Medicaid, reverse premium cuts, and protect Social Security and Medicare for generations to come." Also: "That's why I support codifying Roe into federal law, to put these decisions back where they belong"⁴

Names a policy

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Consumer Protection"He will support strong consumer-protection legislation and aggressively pursue those who prey on Floridians, especially our most vulnerable senior citizens."^{2, 3}

Points to a record

Health care

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Healthcare"He also believes healthcare costs can be reduced by providing individuals with tax benefits, such as expanded Health Savings Accounts." Also: "requirements for clear pricing from hospitals, insurers, and other providers."²

Names a policy

Housing

Bale Dalton

Building More Affordable Housing"we also should ban Wall Street speculators from buying up single-family homes, which further reduces options for families and drives up costs for everyone else."⁴

Names a policy

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Schools and education

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Education"That's why he champions parental rights and school choice, empowering families to make the best decisions for their kids and have transparency on curriculum."²

Names a policy

Child care and families

Bale Dalton

Fighting Government Waste & Giving Working Families a Tax Break"we need a Congress committed to providing immediate tax relief for Florida families and tackling wasteful spending."⁴

None of the six checks

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Faith, Family and Life"Ryan is pro-life and believes every life is a sacred gift from God."²

None of the six checks

Energy and environment

Bale Dalton

Keeping Florida Wild, While Lowering Energy Costs"Preserving environmental resources and preventing drilling off the coasts of Florida means protecting the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range, as well as the Eastern Range"⁴

Names a policy

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Technology and privacy

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Get the Cameras Out of Our Neighborhoods"I will get these systems out of public spaces and keep the Fourth Amendment from becoming a technicality."⁶

Names a policy

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Disasters and the coast

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Beach Protection"Ryan will prioritize working with federal agencies to secure long-term beach nourishment and storm-damage reduction projects."²

Names a policy

Crime and public safety

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

End Qualified Immunity"No government employee should be shielded from the consequences of their own actions."⁶

Names a policy

The State Should Not Decide Who Dies"I would rather one hundred guilty men live out their sentences than watch this country put one innocent man to death."⁶

None of the six checks

Ryan Elijah

Law Enforcement"He will strongly support legislation that protects law enforcement, including tougher penalties for assaulting or shooting officers."²

Names a policy

Ethics, term limits and money in politics

Bale Dalton

Cracking Down On Corruption"any elected or appointed government employee who is 1) found guilty of ethics violations or 2) resigns from office during an ongoing ethics investigation must forfeit their taxpayer-funded pension." Also (priorities page): "That's why I support barring all federal employees and elected officials from betting on prediction markets."^{4, 5}

Names a policySays how they'd do it

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Taxes, jobs and the economy

Bale Dalton

Making Florida Affordable Again"which is why I support raising the federal minimum wage and passing the PRO Act, so labor unions can advocate for workers in a changing economy."⁴

Names a policy

Christopher Dennison

Nothing on this topic

Ryan Elijah

Affordability & Economy"By unleashing the world's best economy through lower taxes, less regulation, and smart growth, we will make America more affordable and prosperous for millions of Americans."²

None of the six checks

Defense and foreign policy

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

End Foreign Aid. Charge for Defense."If a nation wants American troops on its soil, it pays for them or it is a major trading partner with something real at stake."⁶

Names a policy

Foreign Policy (Home page)"We end the deployments, close the bases we do not need, and stop treating war as something that runs on autopilot."⁷

Names a policy

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

How government works

Bale Dalton

Nothing on this topic

Christopher Dennison

Washington Doesn't Own Your Land"If you want to build a data center on property you own, that is between you and your neighbors. The federal government has no business in that decision."⁶

None of the six checks

Ryan Elijah

Nothing on this topic

Their record

Bale Dalton

24 years in the Navy and Navy Reserves, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, by his own account.⁴ Former NASA Chief of Staff, per his Anti-Corruption Plan.⁵ His site lists no elected office.

Christopher Dennison

Air Force 2002 to 2004, then Reserves; coached youth football for twelve years, by his own account.⁶ His site lists no elected office.

Ryan Elijah

Hosted a TV show and, per his About page, "created a consumer advocacy segment that returned thousands of dollars to residents in need."³ His site lists no elected office.

In their words

Bale Dalton

"That's why I support barring all federal employees and elected officials from betting on prediction markets."
Bale Dalton, campaign Priorities page⁴

"In Congress, I will be laser-focused on fostering competition, not consolidation, and fighting for a better deal for Florida families."
Bale Dalton, campaign Priorities page⁴

Christopher Dennison

"Every plank below is a position I will defend on the record."
Chris Dennison, campaign Issues page⁶

"I'm running so my kids and my grandkids inherit a better country than the one we're handing them."
Chris Dennison, campaign Issues page⁶

Ryan Elijah

"Ryan understands that burdensome federal regulations will slow job creation and economic growth."
Ryan Elijah, campaign Key Objectives page²

"Ryan supports greater transparency in the system, including requirements for clear pricing from hospitals, insurers, and other providers."
Ryan Elijah, campaign Key Objectives page²

Where we read it

Bale Dalton

Website: baledalton.com/priorities/ (checked 11/5/2026)

Christopher Dennison

Website: dennison4congress.com/issues-2 (checked 11/5/2026)

Ryan Elijah

Website: elijahforcongress.com/issues.html (checked 11/5/2026)

The middle

Where they agree

Both back gun owners' rights. Elijah is "a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment."² Dalton: "the Second Amendment is a fundamental right for law-abiding citizens in this country."⁴
Both want better care for veterans. Elijah: "We must also guarantee that our veterans receive the best possible care after their service to our nation."² Dalton: "receives the benefits that they so rightly earned through their service."⁴
Both want police supported. Elijah: "strongly support legislation that protects law enforcement."² Dalton: "our police departments are fully funded."⁴

Where they really split

Health care: Elijah would use "expanded Health Savings Accounts."² Dalton: "I support negotiating drug prices in the United States" and would "build on the Affordable Care Act."⁴
Abortion: Elijah: "Ryan is pro-life."² Dalton: "I support codifying Roe into federal law."⁴
Prices: Elijah points to "keeping taxes low and achieving American energy independence."² Dalton: "reversing health care premium hikes and illegal, unpredictable tariffs."⁴

What each one leaves out

Elijah's Key Objectives page names a policy on five of nine issues but says how on none. It gives no numbers, costs or dates.²
Dalton spells out how on one of eight issues (corruption, through the linked plan). He gives no costs or dates on any. His affordability section names no wage figure.^{4, 5}
Dennison's platform names a policy on five of eight items but says how on none. His full /issues page could not be read.^{6, 7}

Sources (checked 11/5/2026)

Florida Division of Elections, Florida Election Watch, unofficial (all 67 counties at 100% of precincts reporting): floridaelectionwatch.gov/FederalOffices/USRepresentative
Ryan Elijah campaign, Key Objectives: elijahforcongress.com/issues.html
Ryan Elijah campaign, About: elijahforcongress.com/about
Bale Dalton campaign, Priorities: baledalton.com/priorities/
Bale Dalton campaign, Anti-Corruption Plan: baledalton.com/anti-corruption-plan/
Chris Dennison campaign, Issues: dennison4congress.com/issues-2
Chris Dennison campaign, Home: dennison4congress.com/