The Bale Dalton & Pia Dandiya Endorsements
Bale and Pia are two Florida Democrats who prove they can Win the Middle in 2026.
The 2026 cycle has been defined by redistricting fights nationwide, and Florida is no exception. This spring’s mid-decade map changes reshaped several of the state’s competitive districts.
WelcomePAC is making two new endorsements that will increase the chances of Democrats bucking the Republicans’ gerrymander: Bale Dalton (FL-07) and Pia Dandiya (FL-22). Both embody what it takes to win in competitive territory: a record that speaks for itself before party affiliation does, a willingness to run as themselves rather than as a national brand, and a coalition that spans party lines.
They join Welcome’s Win the Middle slate, bringing the total number of endorsed candidates for the 2026 cycle to 14.
The Navy Captain who leads with service, not party
Bale Dalton was born and raised in Central Florida and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He has spent 24 years in the Navy and Navy Reserve, flying search and rescue flights in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, medical evacuation missions in Kuwait, special operations missions in Iraq and Africa, and directed combat air support with the Navy SEALs in Afghanistan.
After his first stretch of active duty, Dalton worked at the State Department and as a military legislative assistant to former Sen. Bill Nelson, helping Florida veterans access the care and benefits they’d earned. He then returned to active duty as commanding officer of the Navy’s special operations support helicopter squadron before moving to the private sector, where he used his military background to improve operations at an aerospace company. He went on to serve as Chief of Staff at NASA, managing an agency workforce of roughly 16,500 employees.
When he launched his campaign against scandal-plagued incumbent Rep. Cory Mills last November, his opening video led with his service record and never mentioned his party. That’s a deliberate choice in a district Trump carried by more than 12 points, where the case has to be about the candidate first.
An educator who moved toward the fight, not away from it
Pia Dandiya is a first-generation American, born and raised in Palm Beach County to parents who emigrated from India. She started her career as a teacher but at 28 became a high school principal in Harlem and founded a public charter school where every graduate earned college admission despite 86% of students living in low income households.
Her success in education earned her selection to the White House Fellows program, where she served under both President Trump and President Biden, working on the White House Domestic Policy Council and at the Department of Education on child development, school nutrition, and access to quality education. She went on to lead public-sector modernization work at Apple.
Dandiya entered this cycle challenging Rep. Brian Mast in FL-21. After the Republican-controlled legislature moved to redraw Florida’s congressional map this spring, she shifted to the newly-created, competitive 22nd district, refusing to let the legislature’s redistricting effort go unanswered. If elected, she’d be the first South Asian American to represent Florida in Congress.
Support Bale Dalton and Pia Dandiya
Bale Dalton and Pia Dandiya are running in seats Democrats will need to win in order to flip control of the House in 2026. Winning either district will take significant resources, strong grassroots support, and sustained investment, which is why supporting Dalton and Dandiya now is critical.