Who's running in Florida's 28th 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.
3 candidates · ballot order · Carlos Gimenez currently holds this seat
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.
Lowering taxes and balancing the federal budget.
Environmental protection.
Responsiveness to constituents, which his campaign makes its organising theme.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 28th District since January 2021; re-elected in 2024 with 64.6%.
Mayor of Miami-Dade County before Congress; earlier a Miami firefighter, fire chief and city manager.
Born in Cuba in 1954; immigrated to the United States in 1960.
Advanced from the August 18, 2026 Republican primary.
Arguments in favor
He has "spent the last nine years fighting to lower taxes, balance the budget, protect the environment and more", first as Miami-Dade mayor and now in Congress, running on "common sense leadership for South Florida".
— Carlos Gimenez's campaign
He came from Cuba after the revolution and grew up in Little Havana, and served the county as a firefighter and then as an administrator before he was ever elected — the district's own history and its emergency services both run through his career.
— Carlos Gimenez's campaign
Arguments against
He is absent on the things that matter here: "Where is he on issues that are relevant to a neighborhood in Miami Dade... He's nowhere to be seen on things that matter" — including "the irresponsible cuts to NOAA and the Weather Service... FEMA, on and on" in a district that is mostly coastline.
— Phil Ehr, quoted by The Floridian
He stayed silent while protected status was rolled back for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, many of whom live in his own community — silence that amounts to complicity.
— A video campaign reported by Political Cortadito; protesters have also gathered outside his district office over the deportations, as reported by CiberCuba
What we couldn’t verify
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's published case against him dates from his 2020 county-to-Congress race and concerns his time as Miami-Dade mayor, so it is not used here.
His committee assignments were not established from the sources found.
His own response to the TPS rollback, beyond a joint statement with other Florida Republicans on the Supreme Court's ruling, was not established from the sources found.
Lowering health insurance premiums and expanding access through his proposed Healthcare Stability and Program Choice Act.
Insurance reform: enforcing anti-fraud law and protecting homeowners from rising costs.
Defending the Constitution and the rule of law, rejecting antisemitism and what he calls anti-American rhetoric.
An inter-agency public corruption task force and stronger federal contract oversight.
A full VA hospital or major medical facility in South Dade.
Protecting law-abiding immigrant families while targeting criminals and traffickers, with a residency path for families in legal limbo; protecting the Everglades, and a temporary moratorium on large-scale AI data centres pending environmental review.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Retired U.S. Navy commander; served in the Mariel boatlift rescue operation.
Has been a candidate for Congress in Florida previously.
Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary.
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 Ehr by name could be found: not from Carlos Gimenez or his campaign, not from the National Republican Congressional Committee, and not from Miami or Keys news coverage. He was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, so there was no primary opponent either. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
He has run for Congress three times — against Matt Gaetz in the 1st District, for the U.S. Senate, and against Gimenez in 2024, losing each time. No published criticism framed around that record was found.
His fundraising totals for this cycle were not reported in material available.
No-party-affiliation candidate for the 28th 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 Rojas 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.
Florida held its primary on August 18, 2026. Three candidates are on the November ballot: Republican incumbent Carlos Gimenez, Democrat Phil Ehr and Eddy Rojas, running with no party affiliation. Florida enacted a new congressional map in May 2026 that reworked most of the state's districts, this one among them; it covers southwest Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. This is Ehr's second run against Gimenez, who beat him in 2024. Roster from the Florida qualifying lists as reported by Politics1 and Wikipedia. Arguments are shown for Gimenez, a sitting member criticised by name by his opponent and by local commentators. No published criticism of Ehr or Rojas by name was found, so neither column is filled for them; their positions and records 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.