Florida District 7 race in Seminole County remains extremely close with narrow lead

The race for Florida's Congressional District 7, which includes Seminole County and southern Volusia, is extremely close, with Republican Ryan Elijah holding a narrow lead over Democrat Bale Dalton, Central Florida Public Media reported.

Elijah leads with 49.8% of the vote compared to Dalton's 49.2%, a margin of 0.6 percentage points. Florida election laws require a recount if the victory margin is 0.5 percentage points or less, so the race is close but currently does not meet the threshold for an automatic recount.

Elijah noted that voters were still in line at Oviedo precincts as of 9 p.m., which delayed final results. All precincts in Seminole County have reported, where Dalton actually received 54% of the vote, according to Central Florida Public Media.

Supporters of Elijah showed enthusiasm at a Sanford watch party, though Elijah acknowledged the challenges faced by Republicans in the area this election cycle. Dalton's campaign has raised more funds overall, with $2.3 million reported, while Elijah noted that about $2 million was spent in the last week and a half, per Federal Election Commission reports.

Central Florida Public Media reached out to Dalton's campaign for comment but did not receive a response. The outcome remains uncertain as the vote count finalizes.