The Florida Republican Party celebrated the re-election of Cuban-American Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart in District 26 on Wednesday, following an election night filled with intense suspense as the vote tally swung back and forth, keeping both campaigns on edge for hours.
The Florida GOP shared a victory graphic on social media platform X, stating, "A well-deserved win for Congressman Díaz-Balart! Congratulations on your re-election and for continually prioritizing Florida."
Expressing his gratitude, the congressman tweeted, "I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the residents of District 26 have placed in me once again. Serving this community for over two decades has been the privilege of my life."
With nearly 99% of precincts counted, preliminary results showed Díaz-Balart with 114,547 votes (49.87%) compared to Democrat Nicole Locklin's 112,775 votes (49.10%), a slim margin of 1,772 votes, or 0.77 percentage points.
Unexpected Twists in the Vote Count
The race was not without its dramatic moments. Early Wednesday morning, a batch of 3,000 votes pushed Locklin into the lead by 1,126 votes at 11:16 PM Eastern Time, prompting her to declare on X, "This race is not over."
Eventually, Díaz-Balart regained the lead, maintaining his advantage in the provisional count.
Locklin, a 38-year-old attorney making her first bid for Congress, has yet to concede. Her post on X garnered over 292,000 views.
However, NBC News estimated that Locklin would need to secure 99.8% of the remaining votes to surpass the incumbent Republican, a scenario deemed statistically improbable.
Close Calls and Changing Districts
The provisional margin of 0.77% exceeds Florida's 0.5% threshold for an automatic machine recount, although official certification by the state is still pending.
The narrow outcome took some by surprise. In 2024, under previous district boundaries, Díaz-Balart had won with a nearly 42-point advantage.
The 2026 redistricting of District 26, which removed Collier County and incorporated more Democrat-leaning areas of southwest Broward, transformed the district from a comfortable Republican stronghold into a hotly contested battleground.
The territorial divide was evident: Locklin led by about 22 points in Broward, while Díaz-Balart held a similar margin in Miami-Dade, which includes areas like Hialeah, Doral, and Miami Lakes.
Having served in the federal seat since January 2003, Díaz-Balart received public backing from President Donald Trump, who praised him as "a proven leader" on Truth Social days before the election.
Impacts Beyond District 26
In the neighboring District 27, fellow Cuban-American María Elvira Salazar claimed victory by just 1,116 votes (0.45%), a margin that does trigger Florida's automatic recount threshold, on a night when a Democratic wave shifted the balance of power in Congress nationally.
FAQs on Florida's Tight Congressional Race
What was the final vote margin between Díaz-Balart and Locklin?
The final provisional margin was 1,772 votes, or 0.77 percentage points, favoring Díaz-Balart over Locklin.
Why is the race still provisional?
The results remain provisional until officially certified by the state of Florida, which is necessary to validate the election outcome.
What would trigger a recount in this election?
In Florida, a recount is automatically triggered if the margin is less than 0.5%. In this case, the margin was 0.77%, above the threshold.