Candidate Carlos A. Gimenez, U.S. House District 28

Carlos A. Gimenez, the Republican who has represented South Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys in Congress since 2021, is asking voters for another term in Florida’s 28th Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. He faces Democrat Phil “Felipe” Ehr, a retired U.S. Navy commander who also ran against him in 2024, and Eddy Rojas, a Miami businessman running with no party affiliation.

At a Glance

Office: U.S. Representative, Florida’s 28th Congressional District (two-year term)
Area covered: All of Monroe County (the Florida Keys) and part of southwest Miami-Dade County, including all or part of Homestead, Florida City, South Miami and Sweetwater and unincorporated communities such as Kendall, Goulds, the Hammocks and Westchester
Party: Republican
Incumbent: Yes
Opponents on the ballot: Phil “Felipe” Ehr (Democrat); Eddy Rojas (No Party Affiliation)
Official House website: gimenez.house.gov

Background

Gimenez was born in Cuba in 1954 and came to the United States as a child shortly after the communist takeover of the island, according to his official House biography. His family settled in Miami’s Little Havana. He graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in Westchester, earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Barry University and completed Harvard Kennedy School’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. His office describes him as the only Cuban-born member of the 119th Congress and the first career firefighter-paramedic elected to the House.

His public career began in the City of Miami Fire Department, which he joined in 1975. He spent 25 years there and served the last nine as chief, the first Cuban American to hold the job, according to the House biography. In 2000 he was appointed Miami city manager. Florida Politics reports that he next won a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission and then ran successfully for county mayor in 2011. He was re-elected mayor in 2012 and 2016.

In 2020, while still mayor, Gimenez unseated Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in what was then the 26th Congressional District. The South Dade News Leader reported on election night that he led 52% to 48%. Following the 2022 redistricting, he won the newly drawn 28th District that year with about 64% of the vote. He won again in 2024, defeating Ehr 64.6% to 35.4%, according to Ballotpedia.

His House biography lists his assignments as the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. He also serves on the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party and on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, and he is vice chairman of the Republican Governance Group. He and his wife, Lourdes, have three adult children and six grandchildren.

In Their Own Words

On election night in 2020, Gimenez told supporters how he planned to approach the job:

“My opponent was one of the most partisan members of Congress, I want to be bipartisan. We need to work together.”

Carlos Gimenez, as reported by the South Dade News Leader, Nov. 6, 2020

Speaking at Homestead’s State of the City address in September 2026, he described his role in securing federal money:

“My job is to make sure you get your fair share of federal tax dollars.”

Carlos Gimenez, as reported by the South Dade News Leader, Oct. 9, 2026

On the announcement that Homestead Air Reserve Base is a candidate location for new F-35 fighters:

“With the regime in Communist Cuba just 90 miles away, we must ensure our community is protected from any nefarious threats posed by foreign adversaries.”

Carlos Gimenez, press release, May 2026

On the Cuban government, in a March 2026 Fox News interview:

“That regime is about to fall under its own weight. It’s a failed regime.”

Carlos Gimenez, as reported by Florida Politics, March 7, 2026

On federal project funding for the district:

“Every dollar was secured with accountability and purpose.”

Carlos Gimenez, press release on Fiscal Year 2026 funding

Record and Priorities

Federal money for South Dade and the Keys

Gimenez’s office announced that 12 projects in the district were awarded more than $78 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget, according to a press release. The list includes upgrades to Homestead’s Pump Station 11, a 6-mile redundant water transmission pipeline for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement Project, a replacement for the Sugarloaf Boulevard bridge in Monroe County, a segment of the South Dade Corridor trail project, policing equipment for Sweetwater and patrol vehicles for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. It also includes a command-and-control facility for Joint Interagency Task Force South at Naval Air Station Key West.

At Homestead’s State of the City address on Sept. 29, 2026, Gimenez discussed $2.2 million for critical infrastructure in the city and urged local officials to communicate their needs clearly, the South Dade News Leader reported. Mayor Steven Losner praised the congressman’s work for the city in Washington, the paper reported.

Homestead Air Reserve Base

In May 2026, Gimenez announced that Homestead Air Reserve Base had been selected as a candidate location for 24 new F-35 fighter jets to replace the aging aircraft of the 482nd Fighter Wing. His press release said that when he was first elected there were plans to scale back operations at the base, and that he joined the Armed Services Committee and worked with the Air Force and the Trump administration to secure a new mission.

VA hospital request

The City of Homestead is trying to bring a Veterans Affairs hospital to the city. In January 2025, the city council approved a resolution urging Gimenez to pursue federal funding for one, the South Dade News Leader reported. A later city postcard campaign asked for support from Gimenez and federal officials, according to a follow-up report.

Cuba and the Western Hemisphere

Cuba policy has been central to Gimenez’s public profile. In January 2026, he held a press conference with U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart and Cuban exile leaders. There he called for an immediate end to oil shipments, travel and remittances to Cuba and urged Mexico’s president to stop oil shipments to the island, according to his office. The release quoted him saying that “now is the time to end every financial lifeline to the Communist dictatorship in Havana.” In March 2026, he told Fox News he was “very happy” with the president’s renewed focus on Cuba, Florida Politics reported.

Immigration and TPS

In January 2025, Gimenez sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging a case-by-case solution for Venezuelan exiles, according to his office. After a May 2025 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, he joined Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira Salazar in a joint statement:

“We believe that a case-by-case review is warranted for individuals with legitimate claims of persecution.”

Joint statement of Reps. Díaz-Balart, Gimenez and Salazar, May 21, 2025

The same statement praised President Trump’s border record and said the lawmakers would work with his administration “on a permanent solution.”

Notable votes and legislation

In May 2025, the House passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” tax and spending package 215-214, with Florida’s delegation voting along party lines, according to Florida Politics. As a Republican, Gimenez voted for it. The bill extended the 2017 tax cuts and changed Medicaid, among other provisions.
By November 2024, Gimenez had been the primary sponsor of 46 bills, Florida Politics reported. They included measures on airport security and a proposed grant program for coral reef restoration in South Florida. Three national security bills he sponsored had passed the House at that time.
The same report noted that after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol he voted against certifying Arizona’s and Pennsylvania’s electoral votes and against the second impeachment of President Trump.

President Trump endorsed Gimenez for re-election in February 2026, calling him “a Highly Respected Firefighter, Civic Leader, and Mayor of Miami-Dade County,” according to Florida Politics.

About the District

The 28th District stretches from southwest Miami-Dade through all of Monroe County to Key West. It includes Homestead, Florida City and Homestead Air Reserve Base, plus three national parks: Everglades, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas. The district’s population was about 791,600 in 2024, and roughly 73% of residents are Hispanic, according to census-based figures summarized on Wikipedia.

Florida redrew its congressional map in 2026. The changes to District 28 were minimal, and it still includes the Keys and Homestead, the News Service of Florida reported via WGCU. A voting rights group has challenged the new map in Leon County circuit court. The new districts are the ones in effect for this election.

What this office does

A member of the U.S. House votes on federal laws and the federal budget, serves on committees that oversee federal agencies, and requests funding for district projects. A House member also helps constituents deal with federal agencies such as Social Security, Veterans Affairs and immigration services. Federal decisions that affect South Dade and the Keys include Everglades restoration, military missions at Homestead Air Reserve Base and Naval Air Station Key West, flood insurance, hurricane recovery aid and immigration policy.

The Race

No one contested the party primaries in this district on Aug. 18, 2026, so Gimenez and Ehr went straight to the general election. A second Democrat, Hector Mujica, left the race in June over a party-registration issue that Ehr had raised, Florida Politics reported. The South Dade News Leader’s Aug. 21 primary roundup covers the contested South Dade races that day.

Phil “Felipe” Ehr (Democrat) served 26 years in the Navy and retired as a commander. He lost to Gimenez in 2024. In September 2026, he invited Gimenez and Rojas to two debates, one in Miami-Dade and one in Monroe County, Florida Politics reported. As of that report, no debate had been scheduled.
Eddy Rojas (No Party Affiliation) owns a valet parking company and ran for Miami-Dade mayor in 2024. His campaign lists the economy, education, public safety and health care as priorities (campaign site).

How to Vote

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections:

Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 28 sites. South Dade sites include the Homestead Community Center, Naranja Branch Library, South Dade Government Center, Coral Reef Branch Library and West Kendall Regional Library.
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Completed mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Miami-Dade voters can find their precinct and sample ballot through Miami-Dade Elections. Keys residents vote through the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections, which sets its own early voting schedule.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.