Jesse Scheckner
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Chair Lincoln Díaz-Balart, who served in both chambers of the Florida Legislature before winning a long-held seat in Congress, has died.
He was 70.
Díaz-Balart’s brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, shared word of his death Monday.
“It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Lincoln Díaz-Balart,” the post on X said.
“Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship, and the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NCARA), Lincoln’s legacy of achievement will endure for generations and continue through the work of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) which he founded in 2023.
“Lincoln’s profound love for the United States, and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba, guided him through his life and 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. … We will miss him infinitely.”
Born in Havana, Cuba, on Aug. 13, 1954, to Rafael Lincoln Díaz-Balart and Hilda Caballero Brunet, Díaz-Balart and his brothers Mario, Rafael and Jose grew up steeped in politics. His father served as Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives and Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
His grandfather Rafael José Díaz-Balart and uncle Juan Caballero served in the Cuban House too. His aunt, Mirta Díaz-Balart, was briefly married to longtime dictator Fidel Castro and was the mother of the dictator’s only recognized child.
In 1959, the Díaz-Balart family fled Cuba after their home was looted and burned by pro-Castro forces during the Cuban Revolution, according to Díaz-Balart’s congressional bio. They lived in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Venezuela and Spain before planting roots in Miami.
Díaz-Balart’s postgraduate education was expansive and included study at Cambridge in England. He earned his law degree from Case Western University in Cleveland before returning to Miami to work in private practice and as an Assistant State Attorney.
Díaz-Balart was first a registered Democrat until 1985. He led the Dade County Young Democrats and Florida Young Democrats before running unsuccessfully for the Florida Legislature in 1982. He changed parties in 1985 during then-President Ronald Reagan’s administration.
The following year, he won a seat in the Florida House. Three years later, he was elected to the Florida Senate.
As a state lawmaker, Díaz-Balart pursued policies to steepen sentencing for crimes against police and drug-related money laundering, improve substance abuse treatment, provide low-interest loans for home construction and require companies that do business with Cuba to disclose those arrangements.
He ran to represent Florida’s newly established 21st Congressional District in 1992, defeating former state Sen. Javier Souto with 69% of the vote in the Republican Primary and coasting into office without General Election opposition. He won re-election eight times.
Díaz-Balart wasn’t afraid to vote against his party when doing otherwise would conflict with his moral compass. He was one of three Republicans who didn’t sign the 1994 Contract with America. He also opposed welfare reform legislation in 1996 because it included supplemental security income cuts for immigrants who entered America legally.
He also opposed efforts to prevent children of undocumented migrants from enrolling in public school, successfully fighting to remove the provision from the 1996 Immigration Act.
Through retroactively applied provisions of that measure, Díaz-Balart also helped to prevent the deportation of thousands of refugees from Latin America, the Caribbean and the former Eastern Bloc.
As has been the case for numerous Cuban American lawmakers who came to Washington after him, much of Díaz-Balart’s policy focus was on promoting freedom and democracy on the island. He organized the Cuba Democracy Group, advocated for strengthening sanctions against the Castro regime, sponsored legislation to codify an existing trade embargo against Cuba and was a prominent voice criticizing ex-President Bill Clinton’s move to ease relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
As a member of the House Rules Committee, Díaz-Balart helped carry several pivotal measures, including legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security and extend the Voting Rights Act.
He retired from the U.S. House in 2011, after his brother Mario won an election to succeed him, but continued working on Cuban liberation until his death.
In 2003, Díaz-Balart co-founded the nonprofit CHLI with his brother and former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to spread awareness, access and opportunities for Americans of Hispanic and Portuguese descent.
Díaz-Balart is survived by his wife of 48 years, Christina; his son Daniel and daughter-in-law Estefania; grandsons Lincoln Daniel and Edwin Rafael; brothers Rafael, Jose and Mario; and sisters-in-law Elba, Brenda and Tia. He was predeceased by his first son, Lincoln Gabriel, who died in 2013 at 29.
Axios reporter Marc Caputo said Díaz-Balart died following a battle with cancer, a detail Florida Politics has not independently verified.
Several notable Florida politicos reacted to the news.
Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, the immediate past Mayor of Miami-Dade County, offered praise and compassion.
“To speak of Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart is to speak of a titan, a patriot, and a champion for freedom. Lincoln’s leadership has always been an example to follow & he has inspired so many of us with his unwavering fight for a free Cuba,” Giménez wrote on X. “His advice, counsel, passion, & sincere friendship were staples throughout my career in public service and I will miss him tremendously. Lourdes & I are praying for our dear friends the Díaz-Balart family & express our sincerest condolences at this time.”
Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar said it is “a very sad day for Miami.”
“Lincoln Díaz-Balart paved the way for those of us who follow his work in Congress today,” she wrote. “My condolences to Mario, his brothers, family and friends. Rest in peace, Lincoln!”
Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan called Díaz-Balart “the definition of a public servant and a mentor to (him).”
“He was a towering figure in Florida politics,” Buchanan added, “and a tireless champion for a free Cuba. He will be greatly missed.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor wrote, “So sorry to hear this. I’m sending (prayers) from Tampa Bay.”
U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat who lost his father Michael Moskowitz to cancer in January 2022, wrote on X, “My condolences to your entire family.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto said the world “lost a Florida Legend.”
“Lincoln Díaz-Blart was a fighter for freedom, a foreign policy expert and CHLI champion, among many other incredible contributions to society,” he wrote.
Republican U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster said Díaz-Balart “was a tireless voice and champion for freedom” who “will be missed by all who knew him.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson said she was sending prayers too. “I am so so sorry,” she said.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho described Díaz-Balart as “a fierce defender of freedom around the world (who) loved this great nation.”
“It was an honor to serve alongside him in the House,” Simpson wrote, “and I am proud to have called him a friend.”
Republican state Rep. Tom Fabricio called Díaz-Balart “a steadfast advocate for Cuban freedom,” adding, “His dedication to democracy & justice will continue to inspire.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said her “heart goes out to the Díaz-Balart family and all who loved him.”
“Lincoln Díaz-Balart was one of our strongest advocates for freedom and democracy in Cuba and across Latin America,” she said. “I was lucky to call him a friend and mentor for over 40 years.”
Miami-Dade Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a Republican and former state Representative, said he was “deeply saddened.” He called Díaz-Balart “a true champion for freedom and South Florida” whose “legacy of service and commitment to human rights will never be forgotten.”
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez said that his “heart is broken” by the news of Díaz-Balart’s death.
“We came to Congress together over 30 years ago, and although he was a Republican and I a Democrat, we bonded as brothers over the cause of a free Cuba. Lincoln was a giant, in the cause of Cuban freedom and Democracy around the world,” Menendez said. “His great oratory skills were used in the defense of the oppressed, the immigrant, the voiceless. His legacy endures. Above all he was a great human being: kind, generous, and caring. I will never forget you.”
Former state Rep. J.C. Planas, a Republican-turned-Democrat, said Díaz-Balart’s contributions transcend party lines.
“No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, Lincoln Díaz-Balart was a statesman and an amazing individual,” he wrote. “Prayers for his family. May he always rest in power.”
Lincoln Díaz-Balart’s death comes less than a month after the Díaz-Balart family announced the passing of his uncle, Waldo Díaz-Balart, a renowned Cuban painter and sculptor. He was 93.
The Díaz-Balart family said it will announce a public memorial mass honoring Lincoln Díaz-Balart “shortly.”
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This is a developing story and may be updated.
