UPDATE: This article has been update to reflect that the race remains close and may lead to a victory for either candidate pending further vote-counting and/or potential recounts. A previous version prematurely reported Ryan Elijah as the victor.
Republican Ryan Elijah appears close to winning the general election for Florida’s 7th congressional district on Tuesday. If the current numbrs hold he'll defeat Democrat Bale Dalton. The race remains extremely close with almost all the votes counted as of Thursday morning.
Florida’s 7th district encompasses all of Seminole County and much of southern Volusia County. A relatively competitive district, Dalton ran with hopes to become the first Democrat to win FL-7 since Stephanie Murphy in 2020, under different district boundaries.
On Wednesday, the day after polling closed, election officials were still counting ballots to decide a razor-thin race. According to NBC News on Thursday, Elijah’s lead is 1,701 with around 1,100 ballots left to count. If this estimate is accurate, it would wrap the race up for the Republican barring a possible potential recount.
“While our elections officials complete their important work, our team is fully confident I have secured the votes needed to win,” Elijah tweeted on Wednesday. “We will continue to watch closely, but there simply aren’t enough ballots to overcome a lead of nearly 2000 votes. I am preparing for the important work ahead and look forward to serving the people of Congressional District 7. Thank you for everyone who supported us!”
Prior to launching his congressional bid, Ryan Elijah was well-known in Central Florida for his career as an anchor on Good Day Orlando for over 13 years. He stepped down from this position in April to mount a primary challenge against incumbent Republican Rep. Cory Mills.
In the August 18 primary Elijah won resoundingly over Mills, picking up 47.3% of the vote to the incumbent’s 34.1%. Mills, despite being endorsed by President Donald Trump, has faced multiple personal scandals during his time in Congress.
Opposing Elijah in the general election is Bale Dalton, who served as NASA Chief of Staff from 2024 to 2025. Dalton is a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve who also works with Stella Maris Strategies in the private sector.
“This race remains too close to call, and it is incumbent on all of us not to pretend otherwise until all ballots are counted,” Dalton said on Wednesday, his most recent statement as of Thursday. “We have not received verified information from either Seminole or Volusia County’s Supervisor of Elections Office on the number of outstanding ballots.
