Diaz-Balart cruises to victory in congressional race

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart handily won re-election in South Florida’s 25th Congressional District on Tuesday.

Diaz-Balart, a Republican first elected to Congress in 2002, defeated Democrat Alina Valdes, a physician who had not previously run for office, by a comfortable margin, about 25 percentage points with most of the vote counted.

Diaz-Balart was heavily favored to win the district, which stretches from Miami’s western suburbs to Marco Island and communities east of Naples.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Diaz-Balart cruises to victory in congressional race."