The president Donald Trump formally endorsed the re-election of Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart in a post on Truth Social on Friday night, describing him as "a proven leader" and urging voters in Florida's 26th District to come out and support him in the general election on November 3rd.
In the message posted on Truth Social, Trump highlighted Díaz-Balart's career before reaching the federal Congress: "Mario served his community as a highly respected state legislator and civic leader, before becoming a distinguished congressman." The president also listed the causes that the representative advocates for in Washington: economic growth, tax reduction and deregulation, domestic manufacturing, energy independence, border security, combating migrant crime, support for military personnel and veterans, and defense of the Second Amendment.
Trump closed the message with his usual stamp: "Mario Díaz-Balart has my full and complete support for reelection. Go out and vote for Mario, he will never let you down!"
The post was published during the early voting period for the elections on November 3, although the attached link referred to the day of the primary, which had already taken place on August 18, when Díaz-Balart advanced unopposed within the Republican Party. Trump had issued an initial endorsement with content nearly identical to that of the evening before the primary.
In the general election, Díaz-Balart faces Democrat Nicole Locklin and independent Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey. District 26, which includes Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Doral, and areas in southwestern Broward County, is classified as "solidly Republican" by the Cook Political Report. In 2024, the congressman was reelected with nearly 71% of the votes.
Mario Díaz-Balart has spent over two decades representing South Florida in the federal Congress since January 2003. Born in Fort Lauderdale in 1961, the son of Cuban immigrants, he built his political career in the state legislature before making the leap to Washington. His family has a unique connection to the history of Cuba: his father, Rafael Díaz-Balart, was a parliamentary leader during the Batista government, and his aunt Mirta was Fidel Castro's first wife.
In the political arena, Díaz-Balart has been one of the staunchest advocates of the maximum pressure policy against the Cuban regime. In May 2026, he publicly thanked Trump and Senator Marco Rubio for the new sanctions imposed against Cuba, and in October he expressed his conviction that the dictatorship will not survive the remainder of the Trump administration.
However, the congressman has also distanced himself from the White House regarding immigration issues. He described the detentions of immigrants who are undergoing legal immigration processes as "overreactions" and "unnecessary and negative," and publicly acknowledged his disagreements with Trump by recognizing that his efforts, along with other legislators, did not succeed in changing the White House's stance on Cubans with form I-220A.
The Díaz-Balart campaign reported earnings of $2,763,195 between January 2025 and mid-October 2026, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. With Trump's support and a district that historically favors him, the Cuban-American congressman is a clear favorite to retain his seat next Tuesday.
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