Last updated August 27, 2026:
OVERVIEW
Research regarding how appealing voters consider candidate biographies would be most helpful, particularly a contrast introduction on Bale focused on: Central Florida native Bale Dalton is a Navy combat veteran who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. As NASA’s Chief of Staff, Bale managed 16,5000 employees. Now he’s running for Congress to clean up the mess caused by career politicians. Bale will be an independent leader, working with both parties to bring our costs down and fight corruption. That includes banning Members of Congress from becoming lobbyists when they retire and stripping pensions from Members who violate ethics rules. Unlike his opponent Ryan Elijah — who has said he will trade stocks while in Congress — Bale has pledged to lead by example and not trade stocks himself while he fights to ban all Members of Congress from trading stocks.
- This further research should include a contrast with Elijah in Dalton’s introduction. Potential options include but are not limited to Elijah saying the economy is “in a great spot” (while Dalton knows Floridians are struggling) and that he got in the race “for the President and for the Party” (while Dalton is in the race for Floridians).
This research should consider exploring a scenario where ads supporting Elijah begin prior to communications about Bale and the impact on the race.
SUMMARY
Positive communications from Dalton will be centered on rising costs. Additional research should consider identifying what costs are causing voters in FL-07 the most stress. For example, homeowners, auto, and health insurance, energy (gas, utilities), and other pressing costs.
Research may seek to provide guidance on what aspects of national Democrats’ agenda are most concerning to FL-07 voters, in order to inform the areas and issues where Bale can separate himself from the national brand.
Research should explore the most concerning negative messaging about Elijah. These negatives should, whenever possible, include Elijah’s own financial interests as his motivation (such as investments in the industry, or donations from special-interest groups). Further research regarding on how concerning and believable voters find the below statements would be most helpful:
- His support for the cuts made by the OBBB, including to healthcare and programs for seniors.
- His support for data centers, including tax handouts for developers, while holding thousands in data center stocks.
- His support for cuts that have made electricity more expensive, while taking money from a lobbyist for Florida Power & Light Company (which secured the largest utility rate hike in U.S. history last year)
- His extreme position on abortion
- His support for the war in Iran, which is costing taxpayers billions of dollars and increasing the cost of gas
- His extremism, with a version that notes him being a rubber stamp for Trump and Republicans’ agenda, including that he’s running “for the President and for the Party” and that Trump said Elijah “stands for everything MAGA.”
- His supports for tariffs and comments saying the economy is “in a great spot”
- His admitted intention to continue trading stocks in Congress
- His campaign being funded by a former lobbyist
Examples include:
DATA CENTERS- Ryan Elijah supported the new law that gives a huge tax giveaway to people building data centers, even though data centers are raising our electric bills. Elijah owns thousands of dollars in Data Centers stock, so he’d let Big Tech companies and their data centers buy up our land and strain our energy grid without paying their fair share so he can make more money.
OBBA / ENERGY – Elijah supported a bill that cut back Florida’s wind and solar energy economy and jacked up our costs by rejecting an all-of-the-above energy strategy.
OBBA / FISCAL CONSERVATIVE- Supported adding an estimated $4 trillion to $4.5 trillion to the national debt over a decade, which will keep interest rates high and make it harder to afford to buy a home.
