The Full Record

U.S. House · Florida's 19th District

Southwest Florida including Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Estero, under Florida's 2026 congressional map.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 27 claims re-checked against their sources · 1 corrected · 0 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Seth Haskin actually completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey (embedded in s1) with a biography and policy statements about expanding the House of Representatives, the non-delegation doctrine, and repealing the 17th Amendment; the file had incorrectly stated no public statements were found for him. Added background and three priorities sourced to s1, and upgraded his researchDepth from minimal to basic. Alexandra Zakhvatayev genuinely has no survey response or public statements, so her entry and the race's researchNotes were left as-is (trimmed to refer only to her).

On the ballot · 4 candidates

Victor AriasDAttorney (Owner and Managing Attorney, Arias Law Firm)

Raised $45K · spent $26K · $19K cash on hand (through 2026-07-29) FEC filing ↗

Jim SchwartzelR

Raised $2.1M · spent $1.9M · $182K cash on hand (through 2026-07-29) FEC filing ↗

Seth HaskinIND

Raised $8,000 · spent $7,225 · $775 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Alexandra ZakhvatayevIND

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUEVictor Arias
D
Jim Schwartzel
R
Seth Haskin
IND
Alexandra Zakhvatayev
IND
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsMixed[2]Supports[3]——
Raise taxes on high earners or corporations—Opposes[3]——
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsSupports[2]———
Increase police funding and staffing—Supports[3]——

The candidates, in full

Victor Arias

DAttorney (Owner and Managing Attorney, Arias Law Firm)

Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary

Victor Arias is an attorney in Cape Coral running as the Democratic nominee for the open 19th District seat, campaigning on economic affordability, water quality, and anti-corruption themes.[2]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • MixedExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    As an immigration attorney, says he supports a humane approach and fair treatment for immigrants pursuing legal status while saying he does not condone breaking the law.[2]

  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuels

    Supports Everglades restoration, red tide research funding, and Lake Okeechobee discharge reforms to protect water quality.[2]

In their words — priorities

  • Says he will work to diversify the economy and create jobs to address high costs for gas, groceries, utilities, and insurance.[2]
  • Says he will defend Southwest Florida water quality through Everglades restoration, red tide research funding, and Lake Okeechobee discharge reforms.[2]
  • Says he wants Congress to reclaim its constitutional lawmaking responsibility from the courts through stronger ethics and budget oversight.[2]

Background

  • One of eight children raised in the Douglas Housing Projects in New York; a member of the Florida Bar who has practiced law for over 35 years as owner of Arias Law Firm, P.A. in Cape Coral.[2]
  • Graduate of Leadership Florida, Leadership Lee County, Leadership Cape Coral, and Leadership Estero; recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award and Hispanic Chamber Businessman of the Year Award.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $45K · spent $26K · $19K cash on hand (through 2026-07-29) FEC filing ↗

Campaign website ↗Shareable profile page

Jim Schwartzel

R

Won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary in a crowded field

Jim Schwartzel is a businessman and lifelong Southwest Florida resident who won the Republican primary for the open 19th District seat, campaigning as an outsider on a Trump-aligned platform.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Supports Trump administration border security policies, including deportations and completing a border wall.[3]

    “No nation can survive without borders—I will support Trump's policies to secure the border, deport illegal immigrants, and finish the wall.”
  • OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporations

    Campaigns for tax cuts rather than tax increases.[3]

    “I will fight for Trump-style tax cuts that reward hard work and keep businesses in America.”
  • SupportsIncrease police funding and staffing

    Says he will stand with law enforcement and opposes what he calls soft-on-crime policies.[3]

    “Crime is skyrocketing because soft-on-crime liberals refuse to enforce the law—I will stand with law enforcement and back the blue.”

In their words — priorities

  • Says Washington needs business leaders rather than career politicians, and campaigns on cutting spending and opposing overregulation.[3]
  • Supports securing the border, deporting people in the country illegally, and finishing construction of a border wall.[3]
  • Supports tax cuts and policies aimed at increasing domestic energy production.[3]

Background

  • Lifelong resident of Southwest Florida; graduated from Bishop Verot High School.[3]

Campaign money

Raised $2.1M · spent $1.9M · $182K cash on hand (through 2026-07-29) FEC filing ↗

Campaign website ↗Shareable profile page

Seth Haskin

IND

Seth Haskin is running with no party affiliation in the general election for Florida's 19th District. He completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, focusing on constitutional and structural reform proposals.[1]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

In their words — priorities

  • Says his biggest goal in Congress is to increase the size of the House of Representatives, which he says would connect representatives to constituents, make gerrymandering more difficult, and help root out corruption.[1]
  • Says Congress, not unelected bureaucrats, should write the laws, and calls for restoring the non-delegation doctrine and ending what he calls government by regulation.[1]
  • Says he would support restoring state legislative selection of U.S. senators, reversing the 17th Amendment's direct election of senators.[1]

Background

  • Says he comes from a lower middle-class background and holds a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience.[1]

Campaign money

Raised $8,000 · spent $7,225 · $775 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Shareable profile page

Alexandra Zakhvatayev

IND

Write-in candidate

Alexandra Zakhvatayev is running as a write-in candidate with no party affiliation for Florida's 19th District. No campaign website or detailed public statements were found.[4]

Little public record found for this candidate.

Shareable profile page

Research notes & limits

This is an open seat after incumbent Byron Donalds did not make the ballot. No public information found for write-in candidate Alexandra Zakhvatayev beyond her ballot listing.

Sources · 4

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Florida's 19th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.Victor Arias · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
  3. 3.Jim Schwartzel · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Alexandra Zakhvatayev · Ballotpedia Reference