ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Florida\u2019s District 7 seat came open after Rep. Cory Mills lost his primary, and neither Elijah, a former television anchor, nor Dalton, a retired Navy captain and former NASA chief of staff, has held elected office before. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s where they stand, in their own words. Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n
Affordability<\/p>\n
For families across Seminole and Volusia counties, the cost of living has become the defining issue of the race. Both candidates were asked the same thing: what is the first thing you would do to bring costs down?<\/p>\n
Ryan Elijah put energy at the top of his list.<\/p>\n
\u201cTax cuts are a big thing, and I think we\u2019ve done a lot of that. But I\u2019m a big (believer in) energy independence, if not energy dominance,\u201d Elijah said. \u201cEven with what we\u2019ve seen in Iran, it is a lesser impact now because of our energy position. We had record crude. We had record LNG exporting last year. If you can get that long term, that\u2019s a generational change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond energy, he pointed to \u201crolling back some of these taxes \u2014 the no tax on tips, the child credit, some of those health care (costs) \u2014 you can do that with transparency, with less regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pressed on whether it\u2019s difficult to campaign on affordability while the president pushes tariffs that raise prices, Elijah acknowledged the tension but defended the broader approach. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t help affordability,\u201d he said of the tariffs. \u201cAs a free-business person, I\u2019ve never been a fan (of them). But he\u2019s also the business president. I can also argue points where manufacturing\u2019s come back to Florida \u2026 when jobs are coming back to Florida from Mexico as a result of tariffs. There\u2019s more to look at than just (the price of goods).\u201d<\/p>\n
Bale Dalton pointed first to health care, tying rising costs directly to Congress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Congress has let the ACA subsidies expire, which has left 45,000 people in this district alone without health care at all,\u201d Dalton said. \u201cAnd over 150,000 families have seen their health insurance premiums go up between two and four times.\u201d<\/p>\n
He called it \u201ca crisis of Congress\u2019s own making. That can be turned around tomorrow, if we had the right folks in Congress.\u201d Dalton also pointed to small businesses, which he said are \u201cgetting squeezed on both ends by these illegal tariff taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Data Centers<\/p>\n
More than 100 data centers already operate in Florida, straining the power grid and water supply and dividing communities over who should decide where they go. Both candidates were asked whether they support new construction here.<\/p>\n
Elijah rejected an outright ban and pointed to state law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe popular answer is just abolish them \u2014 that\u2019s what some voters want to hear, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s practical,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of states\u2019 rights and the free state of Florida. What they did with Senate Bill 484 is the best plan. Local governments get to decide. Local residents get to decide. They can decide if it\u2019s going to get a green light in their community or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked directly whether he would support a federal push to control where data centers are built, Elijah was brief: \u201cI would rather see it dealt with at the state level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalton also emphasized local control, while stressing the need to stay competitive on technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny community or neighborhood needs to have the veto power to keep these things out if they\u2019re not a right fit for that community,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are too many questions right now that are not answered \u2026 folks need to have their concerns heard, and we need to take care of those concerns in law. But we also need to stay ahead on the cutting edge of research and development and technology, especially with other countries in this world sometimes surpassing us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether tech-industry PAC donations from Silicon Valley might cloud his judgment as data centers move into Florida, Dalton said no. \u201cI can say unequivocally no,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reason I\u2019m running for Congress is because I don\u2019t think the folks in Seminole and Volusia County have been responsibly represented to this point \u2026 the only pledge I\u2019m interested in taking is to make sure the struggles we\u2019re facing in Central Florida are attacked with real solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iran<\/p>\n
With U.S. casualties, a broken ceasefire, and continued tension in the Strait of Hormuz, both candidates were asked how the conflict with Iran has been handled.<\/p>\n
Elijah framed it as the culmination of a long-running conflict, while voicing frustration over the timeline.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to tell the Americans why you got in. This has been a multi-decade issue with Iran, where Americans have been killed. We\u2019ve had recent attacks, cyberattacks,\u201d he said. \u201cObviously they came out and said four to six weeks. That\u2019s been frustrating for me, and I think for a lot of Americans, because it set that table \u2026 We all know this is something we need to wrap up and finish with the conclusion we want. Wars are tricky, and they\u2019re never as quick as (leaders) want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalton was sharply critical, calling it a war of choice and questioning what the public has been told.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a war of choice that our political leadership has gone into with no clear strategy and no defined end state,\u201d he said. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been briefed to our representatives in Congress in some cases, and it certainly hasn\u2019t been explained to the people. I\u2019m especially concerned that we seem to have been lied to by the political leadership about casualty rates \u2014 where people are dying and how they are dying, how many people have been injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel and Campaign Money<\/p>\n
With pro-Israel groups among the biggest outside spenders of the cycle, both candidates were asked whether they\u2019ve taken money tied to AIPAC.<\/p>\n
Both said no. Elijah: \u201cI\u2019m not taking money from AIPAC.\u201d He described Israel as \u201ca key ally\u201d and a central part of Middle East stability, adding: \u201cAmerica First means you can support Israel, because it supports American interests.\u201d Asked whether that support should be unconditional, Elijah was emphatic: \u201cNo, of course not. Absolutely not. And that\u2019s why I say America First \u2014 as long as it is in America\u2019s best interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalton said his campaign had taken no AIPAC money and none had been offered, adding that he\u2019d talk with \u201canybody that supports what we are trying to do for Central Floridians\u201d as long as \u201cour values are aligned.\u201d Asked whether he\u2019d join the more than 100 House Democrats who\u2019ve voted to condition or cut arms to Israel, he was cautious: \u201cMy concern is that what has been offered previously also cuts defensive measures like the Iron Dome. Everybody deserves \u2026 self-defense against terrorist activity \u2026 So at a minimum, we need to look more at what needs to happen specifically, rather than any sort of blanket restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trading Stocks<\/p>\n
Both candidates were asked how they\u2019d handle their personal finances in office, amid public anger over lawmakers profiting from their positions.<\/p>\n
Dalton said he\u2019d already made his commitment official. \u201cOn the ballot qualification paperwork, I checked the box that I do not intend to trade individual stocks,\u201d he said, citing \u201cthe abject failure of Congress people to police themselves.\u201d He drew a contrast with his opponent, claiming, \u201cMy opponent checked the other box \u2014 that he does intend to trade individual stocks if elected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elijah said members of Congress should not be trading impacted by committees they sit on. \u201cThere is no way a member of Congress should be able to sit on a committee and trade stocks,\u201d he said. \u201cThis may be a 90-10 issue \u2026 they shouldn\u2019t be allowed to do it.\u201d He said he\u2019d support a full ban, with a caveat: \u201cThe devil\u2019s always in the details. A bill might be good, but there\u2019s a little part inserted at the last second that changes things. It\u2019s got to also protect the people that are government workers, that they\u2019re not left out of the system \u2014 but they also don\u2019t have an unfair advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt Austin also pressed the condidates on topics related to their respective politcal parties. Ryan Elijah participated in a debate before the primary election in which he claimed he did not believe Joe Biden recieved as many votes as he was credited with. Matt also pressed Bale Dalton about transgender issues which some experts claim played a major role in the 2024 election.<\/p>\n
The 2020 Election<\/p>\n
Asked whether the 2020 presidential election was stolen \u2014 a claim the president continues to raise \u2014 Elijah said plainly that it was not.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cJoe Biden was elected president, and nobody\u2019s disputing that. I\u2019m not disputing (it).\u201d He noted the question comes up often but is now \u201csix or seven years ago,\u201d and pointed out that he did not have the president\u2019s endorsement before the primary. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery election, one vote that\u2019s fraud is too much,\u201d he added, but said most Americans \u201cwant to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Transgender Issues<\/p>\n
Following the Supreme Court\u2019s decision upholding state bans on transgender athletes in girls\u2019 and women\u2019s sports, Dalton was asked directly whether transgender girls should be allowed to play in girls\u2019 sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not think that boys should be playing in girls\u2019 sports, and I don\u2019t think boys have any business being in girls\u2019 locker rooms,\u201d he said. \u201cThe human condition is different for different folks, and we need to provide folks with the same opportunities \u2014 but we also have to acknowledge protecting our young people as they mature and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would support gender-affirming medical care for minors, Dalton said it should be left to families. \u201cThis is always going to be a discussion that families should have \u2014 parents with their children and with their doctors,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll leave it at that, because I don\u2019t think the federal government has any business talking about the medical care that families determine they need for themselves or their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
The general election for Florida\u2019s 7th Congressional District is Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
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