Bale Dalton

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

Public safety, whether from gun violence or any other type of violent crime, is our government’s number one priority. Without safe communities and safe schools, we cannot have prosperous families and prosperous businesses. We must ensure that our police departments are fully funded and have the resources they need to do their job well. I’m not interested in partisan politicians who refuse to talk about the need to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals, or who refuse to talk about the need to adequately fund our law enforcement agencies and public safety officers. We can safeguard our freedoms as law-abiding citizens in this country while also keeping crime off our streets and out of our schools. Learn more

Economy

My first priority in Congress will be working to make Florida affordable again. We need to stop the bleeding, by reversing health care premium hikes and illegal, unpredictable tariffs. But more than that, we need representatives who will fight for working families – not for another tax giveaway for corporations and billionaires. Learn more

Environment / Energy

We need to crack down on the power companies and property insurers that are ripping Floridians off and raising rates year after year, without any improvement in service. Tallahassee has let these companies run state-sanctioned monopolies for too long. In Congress, I will be laser-focused on fostering competition, not consolidation, and fighting for a better deal for Florida families. Learn more

Preserving environmental resources and preventing drilling off the coasts of Florida means protecting the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range, as well as the Eastern Range, so that our military and our space program can continue to operate in order to keep our nation safe and secure. Endorsing an all-of-the-above energy policy means strengthening our nation’s energy independence and reducing our need for foreign oil and Chinese solar while also lowering costs for American consumers. Learn more

Foreign Policy

I support a robust national security and border security infrastructure that prioritizes the American people and American interests, at home and abroad. China and other foreign adversaries are doing all they can to supplant the United States of America’s role, and are more than willing to weaken our country in order to achieve those goals. We can meet these challenges and ensure that our economy and our defense capabilities remain the best in the world. But doing so requires avoiding more forever wars in the Middle East, and having clear, strategic goals that guide our military operations. Additionally, we need to ensure that our spending overseas generates an adequate return on investment for America – rather than spending millions mindlessly on bloated, international bureaucracies. Learn more

Government Reform

We should also be making it illegal for politicians to profit off of their positions by trading stocks on the very companies they are supposed to regulate. We need to stop the influence of special interests and lobbyists who can pay for access to lawmakers. We need representation in DC that is fighting for the working class instead of their corporate billionaire friends and wealthy donors. Learn more

As a Navy helicopter pilot and squadron leader, I’ve spent my career in environments that demand complete accountability – so this behavior is disgusting to me. That’s why, I support barring all federal employees and elected officials from betting on prediction markets. As a combat veteran, I was sickened to see folks placing bets on prediction markets about whether our F-15 pilot and Weapons System Officer in Iran would come home alive. It’s time to place real penalties on elected officials who bet against America and play by a different set of rules than the rest of us. Learn more

Guns

As a gun owner today, I understand and deeply believe that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right for law-abiding citizens in this country, as it should be. I also believe that gun owners should be well-trained and responsible, and that violent criminals should not have access to firearms. Despite what the partisan rhetoric would have you think, these are commonsense and commonly held beliefs, in Florida and across the nation. Learn more

Healthcare

We need to elect members of Congress who will restore funding to Medicaid, reverse premium cuts, and protect Social Security and Medicare for generations to come. We also must lower costs throughout our health care system, which is why I support negotiating drug prices in the United States – like every other wealthy country does – to keep Americans from being ripped off. We need to build on the Affordable Care Act to lower premiums, deductibles, and surprise medical bills that keep hardworking families from seeking care. Learn more

Housing

It’s not just the sticker price that is causing problems for families young and old throughout central Florida; it’s the mountain of costs that comes with it. Between high interest rates, skyrocketing HOA fees, and rising property taxes, families are being stretched to the breaking point. Home insurance rates also continue to climb year after year, and too often, when disaster strikes, that insurance is little more than the right to sue for the coverage you already paid for. Meanwhile, nonrenewal rates have increased by over 100% in many counties across the state just in the last few years. Congress must act to address the housing affordability crisis that has swept our state and our country. While we absolutely need to enable the creation of more housing at all income levels in order to increase supply, we also should ban Wall Street speculators from buying up single-family homes, which further reduces options for families and drives up costs for everyone else. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

At the same time, our rising national debt – under both Democratic and Republican leadership – is increasingly a matter of grave national security, as foreign adversaries like China are able to buy up our debt and force taxpayers to send their hard-earned income abroad, instead of going toward securing our country, growing our economy, and improving our quality of life. Learn more

Our elected leaders are meant to be trustworthy stewards of our tax dollars, so that when you pay your fair share, you actually receive the services you would expect for what you paid. But with wasteful spending in Washington and a tax code skewed toward the ultra-rich, it is nearly impossible for middle-class families to believe they are truly seeing a return on their investments in our government. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

With prices rising, wages also need to keep up – which is why I support raising the federal minimum wage and passing the PRO Act, so labor unions can advocate for workers in a changing economy. Learn more