Who's running in Florida's 9th congressional district
2 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.
2 candidates · ballot order · Darren Soto 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 costs: stopping tariffs and policies he says raise grocery, fuel and housing prices, and supporting local agriculture.
Protecting care: preventing Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts and defending Social Security and Medicare.
Fighting corruption in Washington.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative since January 2017; re-elected in 2024 with 55.1%.
First person of Puerto Rican descent elected to Congress from Florida.
Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee.
Florida House of Representatives for five and a half years from age 29, then the Florida Senate for four years.
Lawyer in private practice for over a decade; graduate of Rutgers University and George Washington University Law School.
Authored legislation on reef protection, commercial spaceflight, hurricane preparedness and disaster relief; secured funding for the NeoCity microchip facility and the Poinciana Valencia campus.
Advanced from the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary.
Arguments in favor
He is running on what he calls the three C's — lowering costs by stopping tariffs that raise grocery, fuel and housing prices, protecting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act from cuts, and fighting corruption in Washington.
— Darren Soto's campaign
He secured $13.4 million in community project funding for the district in the 2026 budget, on top of authoring laws on reef protection, commercial spaceflight and hurricane preparedness from seats on Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources.
— Darren Soto's congressional office
Arguments against
He voted against the budget framework and the tax package, and against the Laken Riley Act and rural health funding — a record the committee summarises as voting to raise taxes and to make life more expensive for nearly 50,000 workers in this district.
— National Republican Congressional Committee
He announced $13.4 million in district funding when more than $10 million of it came from budget bills he voted against: "Out of touch Darren Soto can lie about his record all he wants, the truth is, Central Floridians don't want him."
— Maureen O'Toole, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson
What we couldn’t verify
His response to the claim that he took credit for funding he voted against has not been published in the material found.
How he intends to run in a district redrawn by 17 points against him was not set out in the coverage available.
His position on the property insurance costs his opponent campaigns on.
Affordability: groceries, fuel and costs for families, farmers and small business owners.
Lowering property insurance rates for Florida homeowners and improving housing affordability for younger buyers.
Addressing overdevelopment that he says displaces long-time Florida residents.
Maintaining military funding.
Supporting the administration's agenda and protecting constitutional rights.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Navy commander, selected for promotion to captain.
Four tours in the Middle East and Central Asia, including two SEAL team deployments; postings in Baghdad and Kabul.
Civilian State Department tour in Afghanistan.
Won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary.
Has not held elected office.
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 Green by name could be found, from his opponent, from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or from news coverage; his primary win was recent and coverage so far is biographical. 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, immigration and education were not stated in material available.
His fundraising totals 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. Democratic incumbent Darren Soto and Republican Dan Green are the two candidates on the November ballot; Green won a crowded primary with about 25.4%, narrowly ahead of rancher Ben Butler. Florida's new congressional map, signed in May 2026, reshaped this Osceola-and-Orange-county seat sharply: on the old lines Kamala Harris carried it 51%-48%, and on the new ones Donald Trump would have carried it 58%-41%. Soto has accused Governor DeSantis and Republican legislators of violating Florida's Fair Districts amendments in drawing it. Arguments are shown for Soto, who is a National Republican Congressional Committee target with published attack material. Green, a first-time candidate, has drawn no published criticism by name, so no case against him exists to set beside his own; his positions and record are in his profile.
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.