Who's running in Florida's 19th congressional district
3 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Reducing what he calls wasteful government spending.
Economic growth.
Completing border wall construction and immigration enforcement including deportations.
Advancing America First principles.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Businessman and radio entrepreneur; founded 92.5 FOX News Radio in southwest Florida.
Conservative activist with Tea Party movement roots.
Won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary for the open seat.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
He is one of the few candidates in the field who actually comes from here — a lifelong Florida resident who built and runs a southwest Florida broadcasting business, against rivals who had moved to the state to run.
— Jim Schwartzel's campaign, reported by NOTUS
He won a ten-candidate primary with more than 29% against the president's own endorsed candidate and two former members of Congress, with millions of dollars spent in the race.
— Primary result reported by Ballotpedia and Florida Politics
Arguments against
He is a "LIBERAL" who "mandated vaccines on his employees" — not the conservative he presents himself as.
— A spokesperson for Catalina Lauf, his Republican primary opponent
Donald Trump did not want him: the president endorsed Catalina Lauf in this primary, one of the few endorsements he has lost since 2018.
— Donald Trump's endorsement of Catalina Lauf, reported by The Hill
What we couldn’t verify
He has held no elected office, so there is no voting record to set against his campaign's positions.
His response to the vaccine-mandate claim was not established from the sources found.
As the owner of a conservative talk radio station he covers the politics he is now a candidate in; how he handles that overlap was not established from the sources found.
Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary for the open seat.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Arias by name could be found: not from Jim Schwartzel or his campaign, not from the National Republican Congressional Committee, not from his two Democratic primary opponents, and not from southwest Florida news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
His positions on health care financing and immigration were not stated in material available.
His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
No-party-affiliation candidate for the 19th District, qualified for the November 3, 2026 general election.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Haskin by name could be found, and no published case for him beyond his own campaign site. As a candidate with no party organisation behind him he has drawn very little coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
His fundraising and any endorsements were not reported in material available.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
This seat is open: Republican incumbent Byron Donalds is not on the November ballot, having run for Governor. Three candidates are: Republican Jim Schwartzel, Democrat Victor Arias and Seth Haskin, running with no party affiliation. One certified write-in candidate is not a printed choice and is not profiled here. Florida's new congressional map, signed in May 2026, moved Marco Island, Naples and southern Collier County out of this district; the Cook Political Report rates the seat Solid Republican, and registered Republicans outnumber Democrats better than two to one in Lee County and nearly three to one in Collier. Schwartzel came through a ten-candidate primary in which he beat Donald Trump's endorsed candidate, Catalina Lauf. Roster from the Florida qualifying lists as reported by Politics1 and Wikipedia. Arguments are shown for Schwartzel, who was criticised by name in that primary. No published criticism of Arias or Haskin by name was found, so neither column is filled for them; their positions are in their profiles.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Florida ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Florida Division of Elections.