Mario Diaz-Balart
RepublicanU.S. Representative, FL-26| Age | 64 (b. 1961-09-25) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2003-01-07 (~23 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Cuban-American (Hispanic; born to Cuban parents) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Studied Political Science at the University of South Florida, Tampa |
| Prior occupation | Aide to Miami Mayor Xavier Suárez (from 1985); Florida state legislator (1988-2002) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Marital status | Married — Tia Díaz-Balart |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Miami, Florida |
| Notable relatives | Brother Lincoln Díaz-Balart (U.S. Rep. FL, 1993-2011); brother José Díaz-Balart (journalist, MSNBC/Telemundo); father Rafael Díaz-Balart (Cuban politician); aunt Mirta Díaz-Balart (first wife of Fidel Castro) |
Pending research: openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2002 |
| Previous offices | Florida House of Representatives (1988-1992) · Florida Senate (1992-2000) · Florida House of Representatives (2000-2002) |
| Committees | Committee on Appropriations (Vice Chair) · Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (Chair) · Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense |
| Caucuses | Congressional Hispanic Conference (Chair) · Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus · Congressional Taiwan Caucus (Co-chair) · Republican Main Street Partnership · Republican Governance Group · House Baltic Caucus |
| Leadership | Vice Chair, House Committee on Appropriations (119th Congress) · Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs · Chair, Congressional Hispanic Conference |
| Party history | Registered Democrat until 1985; switched to Republican Party in 1985 |
| Ideology | DW-NOMINATE dimension 1 = 0.282 (center-right Republican), consistent across the 115th-119th Congresses |
| Signature legislation | DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act / immigration reform efforts (pathway to legal status) · Strong proponent of the U.S. embargo on Cuba and Cuba-democracy measures |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) / pro-Israel donors ($516,462 (2023-2024 cycle))
Top industries: Real estate · Pro-Israel · Lobbyists · Health professionals · Securities & investment
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Administrative Fine for Late 48-Hour Notification Filing (2018 Cycle) business
The FEC assessed an administrative fine of $5,555 against Mario Diaz-Balart for Congress (committee ID C00376087) for failing to timely file a 48-Hour Notification report during the 2018 election cycle. The fine was assessed on March 11, 2019, upheld on June 28, 2019, and paid in full. The treasurer of record was Antonio L. Argiz.