A member of the family often referred to as the Cuban Kennedys, Mario Diaz-Balart fits well with his largely Hispanic constituency and enjoys relative job security in a district that leans Republican. He’s emerged as a House Republican point man on immigration, even though his views, including support for a comprehensive overhaul, don’t always completely mesh with his party’s prevailing sentiment. Mario Diaz-Balart attended the University of South Florida, but dropped out in 1985 to serve as an aide to Miami’s first Cuban-American mayor, Xavier Suarez. That year, he also changed his political party affiliation to Republican from Democrat. He was elected to the Florida House in 1988 and in 1992 became, at age 31, the youngest person ever elected to the state Senate.

Learn what Mario Diaz-Balart says about finding common ground