Bale Dalton

Bale Dalton still hunts with his dogs and fishes for redfish in the Indian River Lagoon, pastimes he remembers from growing up in Central Florida.¹ His mother taught school before having children, and he says she made him a reader; family members still trade books.¹ He grew up as one of four children.²

He earned an ocean engineering degree at the Naval Academy and became a Navy helicopter pilot.³ His 24 years in the Navy and Reserve included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and 13 years on active duty.² He commanded Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85, the Navy's special operations support squadron.³ In an interview, he recalled rescuing people from rooftops after Hurricane Katrina.¹

Dalton later managed aviation programs at Air Center Helicopters and worked for Senator Bill Nelson and the State Department.³ He joined NASA as deputy chief of staff in 2021 and served as chief of staff from January 2024 to January 2025.³ His work included budget advice and risk decisions involving the Webb telescope, Artemis and the International Space Station; NASA awarded him its Distinguished Service Medal.³

His platform calls for negotiating prescription drug prices, strengthening Affordable Care Act coverage and blocking large financial investors from buying single family homes.⁴ He also advocates banning congressional stock trading and restoring federal abortion protections.⁴ He faces Republican Ryan Elijah in the November 3 election for Florida's 7th District.⁵