Diaz-Balart retains Congressional office

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz- Balart will return to Washington, D.C. for a 10th term in January to represent Congressional District 25.
Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, was the only candidate to qualify for the race that was to be held Nov. 3.
Diaz-Balart’s campaign announced on April 24 that the political veteran retained the Congressional office he has held since 2002.
Diaz-Balart submitted 9,237 petitions signed by voters, an amount “almost three times the number needed” and more than any other candidate for Congress from Florida, the campaign said.
Challengers Yadira Escobar, a Democrat from Hialeah Gardens, and Republicans Tom Hughes and Stewart
Persky, both from the Naples area, did not qualify.
Diaz-Balart, 58, represents Hendry, Collier and Miami-Dade
Counties.
The district includes Miami Lakes, Hialeah,
Doral, and most of the northern portion of the Florida Everglades.
“I’m humbled by the overwhelming support I received for my reelection campaign,” Diaz-Balart said in the statement released by his campaign.
“I sincerely thank the people of District 25 for the trust and confidence they have instilled in ny service and look forward to continuing my work on the issues of importance to the people of the 25th Congressional District and the United States,” he said.
Diaz-Balart was the first member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19 when he announced in March that he had contracted the virus, and has since recovered.
The Fort Lauderdale native is a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, which writes laws that direct how federal money is spent.
He is also a ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee and a member of the DefenseCommittee.
Before winning election to Congress nearly two decades ago, Diaz-Balart won offices in both chambers of the Florida legislature, where he served 14 years, according to his website.