Ryan Elijah Claims Win in Tight Florida Congressional Race After State Rules Out Recount

Republican Ryan Elijah claimed victory in Florida's 7th Congressional District on Saturday, after the Florida secretary of state determined there will be no recount in one of the closest House races of the midterm elections.

Elijah, a former Orlando television news anchor, led Democrat Bale Dalton by 1,631 votes after both Volusia and Seminole counties submitted their first unofficial results on Friday. The tally stood at 49.843 percent for Elijah to 49.338 percent for Dalton, with Libertarian Christopher Dennison pulling just over 1 percent, according to the Florida Department of State.

The margin fell just outside the 0.5 percent threshold that triggers an automatic machine recount under Florida law, said Gretl Plessinger, communications director for Secretary of State Cord Byrd. Elijah's lead was a mere nine votes away from triggering a recount, according to Central Florida Public Media.

Dalton, a Navy combat veteran who served as NASA chief of staff from 2024 to 2025, has not conceded. He raised $2.3 million for the race and won Seminole County by a 54-45 margin, while Elijah took Volusia County by 57-42. Both counties expect to keep receiving overseas ballots from service members and citizens abroad until November 13, but officials said it appears unlikely there will be enough to erase a lead of more than 1,600 votes.

Elijah resigned from a lucrative Orlando TV news anchor job to challenge embattled incumbent U.S. Rep. Cory Mills in the Republican primary, which he won. The 7th District straddles Seminole and Volusia counties in Central Florida, and voters there backed President Donald Trump by wide margins in recent elections — making Dalton's near-miss a sign of how far Democrats advanced in the midterms.

Results will not be final until the Elections Canvassing Commission certifies them on November 17. The Associated Press has not called the race. In a neighboring contest, Democratic Rep. Darren Soto also claimed victory in Florida's 9th District on Saturday, with his race likewise just outside the recount threshold.