Democrat Nicole Locklin threatened on Wednesday to file a federal lawsuit if the Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor does not provide a verifiable explanation regarding the figures that emerged during the election night of November 3 in the contest for the 26th District of Florida against Mario Díaz-Balart.
Locklin explicitly clarified that he is not contesting the election results, but rather seeking an explanation regarding a discrepancy that briefly appeared in the election data that night, which gave him a significant lead over the Republican candidate.
"We have requested an explanation from the Miami-Dade elections supervisor," the candidate stated, adding, "We will not be satisfied until this discrepancy is fully explained and the explanation is verified with evidence."
The core of the controversy is that on the night of November 3, a figure momentarily appeared placing Locklin in the lead by a wide margin.
Associated Press (AP) acknowledged that a data entry error by the agency resulted in that incorrect total and stated that it was quickly corrected.
However, Locklin considers that explanation insufficient, partly because the higher total was also visible in public data from Miami-Dade retrieved by independent services, not just in the AP transmission.
The current results give Díaz-Balart a lead of 1,704 votes —114,578 compared to 112,874— which is less than one percentage point, a margin that exceeds the 0.5% threshold that would trigger an automatic machine recount in Florida.
Joeffe Miyar (El Gussi), a member of the Locklin campaign, emphasized that the goal is solely to find answers: “Nicole and the group you see here, of whom I am very proud, are just looking for answers.”
The Elections supervisor, Alina García, defended her management and dismissed any questions regarding her impartiality.
"My behavior shows that I am an impartial and fair person. I do what I have to do and follow the law," he stated.
The case also reopens the debate about the nature of the position held by García.
Miami-Dade recently modified its system so that the Supervisor of Elections is elected by voters in partisan elections, creating a tension highlighted by political analyst Alex Penelas: "On one hand, we expect the supervisor not to participate in partisan activities, but on the other hand, they have to submit to a partisan election."
García, a Republican, was elected in 2024 as the first person to constitutionally hold that position and will have to run for re-election in 2028.
It had already been the subject of controversy in the neighboring District 27, where a federal judge refused to remove García from the recount due to an alleged conflict of interest.
Díaz-Balart, a Cuban-American congressman who has represented districts in South Florida for over two decades, retained his seat by less than a point in a contest that the 2026 redistricting turned into one of the most competitive of his career.
The certification of the results in Miami-Dade is scheduled for next Monday, November 16, and the state certification for Tuesday, November 17.
García, when asked about the criticism, responded calmly: "One has to do the best possible. I will be on the ballot in two years, and if they are not happy with me, they will remove me."
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