Washington, D.C. | November 5, 2026 - Voters went to the polls on November 3, and the results will shape the small business agenda in Washington for the next two years. The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) works with whoever the voters send to Congress. We thank every volunteer and poll worker who made Election Day possible. Here is what we know so far and what it means for Puerto Rican and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
A new majority in both chambers
The Associated Press has reported that Democrats will hold majorities in both the House and the Senate beginning in January. A change in majority means new committee chairs, new priorities, and new hearings. For small business owners, that puts access to capital, SBA oversight, federal contracting, and the cost of health coverage back on the table. Our job is to make sure the voices of Hispanic and Puerto Rican business owners are in the room when those priorities are set.
New leadership on House Small Business
Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who has led Democrats on the House Small Business Committee since 1998, is retiring. Both candidates for her seat at the top of the committee, Rep. Gil Cisneros of California and Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, won re-election on Tuesday. With Democrats in the majority, that contest is now a race for the committee’s gavel, and it will be decided by House Democrats in the weeks ahead. Whoever leads the committee will set the agenda on SBA lending, contracting, and disaster recovery, all of which matter to Puerto Rico and to Hispanic-owned firms across the country.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Unofficial results from the Florida Division of Elections show Rep. Darren Soto with 143,174 votes (50.26%) to Dan Green with 141,697 (49.74%), a margin of 1,477 votes, just outside Florida’s 0.5-percentage-point threshold for an automatic machine recount. Soto has declared victory based on those unofficial results. The race is relevant to leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. NPRCC will continue working with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and with members of both parties.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, home to many of our members, saw four House seats change hands. According to AP race calls, the winners are Bob Harvie in the 1st District, Bob Brooks in the 7th, Paige Cognetti in the 8th, and Janelle Stelson in the 10th. NPRCC looks forward to meeting the new and returning members from Pennsylvania and introducing them to Hispanic business owners in their districts.
Texas and Florida
In South Texas, Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez won re-election, and Bobby Pulido prevailed in the 15th District over Rep. Monica De La Cruz. In South Florida, Rep. Carlos Giménez won re-election in the 28th District.
In Florida’s 26th District, unofficial state results show Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart with 114,547 votes (49.87%) and Nicole Locklin with 112,775 (49.10%), a margin of 1,772 votes. Díaz-Balart has claimed victory; the Associated Press has not called the race, and Locklin has not conceded while provisional and cured ballots are still being counted in Broward County. In Florida’s 27th District, unofficial results show Rep. María Elvira Salazar with about 124,474 votes (50.23%) and Eliott Rodriguez with about 123,358 (49.77%), a margin of about 1,116 votes inside Florida’s automatic recount range. That race has not been called. NPRCC will share updates as those results are finalized.
What NPRCC will watch and push for
In the new Congress, the NPRCC will push for fair access to capital and federal contracts for Hispanic-owned businesses, for disaster recovery and economic development that treat Puerto Rico as a full partner, and for policies that let families build something that lasts. We will meet the new members, work across the aisle, and keep advocating for the communities we serve, with the common good as our guide.
“Families who build a business are building something that lasts,” said Joel Berrocal, Executive Director of NPRCC. “We will meet the new Congress ready to work with members of both parties on behalf of Puerto Rican and Hispanic entrepreneurs.”