2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the twenty-seven congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's twenty-seven congressional districts, a two-seat increase due to the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election, and a U.S. Senate election. The primary elections were held August 14, 2012.

Redistricting
In November 2010, Florida voters passed two amendments to the Florida Constitution which would require congressional and state legislative districts to be compact and follow geographical boundaries, thereby preventing gerrymandering. Shortly after the amendments were passed, U.S. Representatives Corrine Brown and Mario Diaz-Balart filed a lawsuit asking that the amendment concerning congressional districts be declared invalid. Brown and Diaz-Balart alleged that the power to change rules for congressional redistricting lies exclusively with the state legislature, and as such cannot be changed through a referendum; however, in January 2012 a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected their arguments.

Redistricting legislation which would create one new district each in North Florida and Central Florida was passed by a committee of the Florida House of Representatives on January 27, by the full House of Representatives on February 3, and by the Florida Senate on February 9. Shortly after, the Florida Democratic Party announced it would file a lawsuit, alleging that the map violated the Fair Districts provision, which requires that maps do not intentionally favor parties or incumbents. Separately, a coalition of groups including Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the National Council of La Raza announced it would file its own challenge on the legislation's being signed into law.

Overview
The table below shows the total number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost by each political party in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Florida. All vote totals come from the Florida Secretary of State's website along with the individual counties' election department websites.

District 1
Florida's new 1st district voting age population is 77.6% White (single race), 12.9% Blacks (includes multirace), 4.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 5% other races Republican incumbent Jeff Miller, who had represented Florida's 1st congressional district since 2001, ran for re-election and secured the Republican nomination unopposed.

Nominee

 * Jeff Miller, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * James Bryan, army veteran

Nominee

 * Calen Fretts, vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County

Independents
William Cleave Drummond, II ran for election as a write-in candidate.

District 2
Florida's new 2nd district voting age population is 68.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 23.5% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 4.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.3% other races (non-Hispanic). Republican incumbent Steve Southerland was first elected to represent Florida's 2nd congressional district in 2010 and secured the Republican nomination unopposed.

Nominee

 * Steve Southerland, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary
Former Republican state senator Nancy Argenziano was being barred from running as a Democrat by state law, and tried to run on the Independent Party of Florida line, but ultimately withdrew.

Nominee

 * Al Lawson, state senator and candidate for this seat in 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Leonard Bembry, state representative
 * Alvin Peters, attorney and former chairman of the Bay County Democratic Party
 * Mark Schlakman

Withdrawn

 * Nancy Argenziano, former Republican state senator
 * Jay Liles, activist

Results
Southerland defeated Lawson for re-election to a second term, 53% to 47%, on November 6, 2012.

District 3
Florida's new 3rd district voting age population is 75.8% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 12.9% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 6.7% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 4.3% other races (non-Hispanic). Republican Cliff Stearns, who had represented the 6th District since 1989, had his home in Ocala drawn into the neighboring 11th District. However, he opted to seek reelection in the 3rd, which contained more than two-thirds of his former territory.

Republican primary
Stearns was upset in the primary by Ted Yoho, a large-animal veterinarian from Gainesville.

Nominee

 * Ted Yoho, veterinarian

Eliminated in primary

 * James Jett, police officer
 * Steve Oelrich, state senator
 * Cliff Stearns, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * J.R. Gaillot, policy consultant

District 4
Florida's new 4th district voting age population is 74.9% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 12.5% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 6.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 5.9% other races (non-Hispanic). Republican incumbent Ander Crenshaw, who had represented the 4th District since 2001, ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * Ander Crenshaw, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Bob Black
 * Deborah Pueschel

Withdrawn

 * Gary Koniz

District 5
Florida's new 5th district voting age population is 49% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 36.2% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 10% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 1.1% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.7% other races (non-Hispanic). It is the successor to the former 3rd district, which has been represented by Democrat Corrine Brown since 1993.

Nominee

 * Corrine Brown, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * LeAnne Kolb

Withdrawn

 * Mike Yost, nominee for this in 2010

Libertarian primary
Gerald Nyren announced plans to run as a Libertarian Party candidate.

District 6
In redistricting, most of the old 7th district was renumbered as the new 6th district. John Mica, who had represented the 7th District since 1993, had his home drawn into the neighboring 7th District, and opted to seek re-election there.

Florida's new 6th district voting age population is 82.8% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 8.8% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 5.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.7% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Ron DeSantis, Iraq War veteran, former prosecutor and future Florida governor

Eliminated in primary

 * Richard Clark, member of the Jacksonville City Council
 * Fred Costello, state representative
 * William Billy Kogut
 * Craig Miller, businessman and Vietnam War veteran
 * Alec Pueschel
 * Beverly Slough, chairman of St. Johns County School District Board

Declined

 * John Mica, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Heather Beaven, former Navy cryptologist and nominee for the 7th district in 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Vipin Verma, attorney

District 7
The new 7th District is the successor to the old 24th District, represented by Republican Sandy Adams since 2011. John Mica, who had represented the old 7th District since 1993, had his home drawn into the new 7th. The new district voting age population is 70.2% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 8.1% non-Hispanic blacks (includes multirace), 8.1 percent Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.9 percent Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace) and 4.7% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * John Mica, incumbent U.S. Representative from the 6th district

Eliminated in primary

 * Sandy Adams, incumbent U.S. Representative from the 24th district

Primary results
Mica defeated Adams in the Republican primary with 61 percent of the vote.

Nominee

 * Jason Kendall, social media consultant and sales manager

Eliminated in primary

 * Nicholas Ruiz

District 8
The new 8th District was the successor to the 15th District, represented by Republican Bill Posey since 2009. The voting age population was 80.4% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 8.7% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 7.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.2% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Bill Posey, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Shannon Roberts, former NASA & federal official and Cape Canaveral City Council Member

District 9
The new 9th district, an open seat located south of Orlando, is expected to favor Democrats. It contains all of Osceola County, part of Orange County (including the Orlando International Airport), and part of Polk County. The district's inhabitants voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama, preferring him to John McCain 60-39%. In addition, the district will contain a plurality of whites, at 43%, followed by Hispanics and blacks, who will make up 41% and 12% of the population, respectively. The new 9th district voting age population is 42.9% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 39.1% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 10.1% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 2.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 5.6% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Alan Grayson, former U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Todd Long, attorney, conservative radio show host and candidate for the 8th District in 2008 & 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Julius Melendez
 * Mark Oxner, businessman
 * John Quinones

District 10
In redistricting, the 8th district was renumbered as the 10th district. Republican Daniel Webster, who had represented the 8th district since January 2011, sort re-election. The new 10th district voting age population is 69.9% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 13.5% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 10.4% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.7% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 5.4% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Daniel Webster, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Val Demings, former Chief of the Orlando Police Department and wife of the Orange County Sheriff

Declined

 * Alan Grayson, former U.S. Representative

District 11
In redistricting, most of the old 5th District became the 11th District. Rich Nugent, who had represented the 5th since 2011, ran for re-election in the 11th. The new 11th district voting age population is 83.1% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 7.3% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 7% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.2% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Rich Nugent, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * David Werder

District 12
In redistricting, most of the old 9th District became the 12th district. Republican Gus Bilirakis, who had represented the 9th District since 2007, ran for re-election in the 12th. The new 12th district voting age population is 82.6% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 9.6% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 4% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.5% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Gus Bilirakis, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Jonathan Snow, photo specialist and former teacher

Independents
John Russell, an acute care nurse practitioner, had announced prior to redistricting that he would run as an independent in the 11th District. However, after he was drawn into the 12th, he opted to seek election there.

District 13
In redistricting, most of the old 10th District became the 13th District. Bill Young, who had represented the 10th and its predecessors since 1971, ran for re-election. The new 13th district voting age population is 83.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 7% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 5% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 4.2% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Bill Young, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Darren Ayres
 * Madeline Vance

Nominee

 * Jessica Ehrlich, attorney and former Legislative Counsel for Representatives Clay Shaw and Stephen Lynch

Withdrawn

 * Nina Hayden

Declined

 * Charlie Justice, former state senator and nominee for this seat in 2010
 * Rick Kriseman, state representative
 * Janet Long, former state representative
 * Kenneth Welch, Pinellas County Commissioner

Declined

 * Charlie Crist, former Governor and candidate for Senate in 2010

District 14
In redistricting, the 11th District was renumbered as the 14th District. Democrat Kathy Castor, who has represented the 11th since 2007, ran for re-election here. Florida's new 14th district voting age population is 46.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 24% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 24% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 1.6% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.8% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Kathy Castor, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Evelio Otero, retired Air Force colonel

Eliminated in primary

 * Eddie Adams, architect

Declined

 * Michael S. Bennett, state senator
 * Shawn Harrison, state representative
 * Mark Sharpe, Hillsborough County Commissioner and nominee for the 11th district in 1994 and 1996

District 15
In redistricting, the 12th district was renumbered as the 15th district. Dennis Ross, who had represented the 12th district since 2011, ran for re-election. The new 15th district voting age population is 68.6% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 14.2% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 12% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.7% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 4.5% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Dennis Ross, incumbent U.S. Representative

General election
No other party put up a candidate.

District 16
In redistricting, the Florida's 13th congressional district was renumbered as the 16th district. Republican Vern Buchanan, who had represented the 13th since 2007, ran for re-election in the 16th after deciding against running for the U.S. Senate. The new 16th district voting age population is 83.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 8.5% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 5.6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.3% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.2% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Vern Buchanan, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary
Prior to redistricting, former state representative Keith Fitzgerald had announced he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Buchanan.

Nominee

 * Keith Fitzgerald, former state representative

District 17
The new 17th district, an open seat for a large district comprising parts of 10 South and Central Florida counties as well as parts of the Everglades watershed, is expected to favor Republicans. Republican Tom Rooney, who had represented the 16th district since 2009, ran for re-election in the new 17th district. The new 17th district voting age population is 75.4% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 13.9% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 7.9% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.3% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Tom Rooney, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Joe Arnold, member of Okeechobee County school board

Withdrawn

 * Karen Diebel, former Winter Park city commissioner and candidate for the 24th district in 2010

Nominee

 * William Bronson, retired Delta Air Lines pilot (formerly an unsuccessful Republican candidate in Massachusetts and Georgia)

Minor parties
26-year-old Tom Baumann from Miami (who ran unsuccessful campaigns in Minnesota and in the Borough of Manhattan) ran as a write-in candidate for the Socialist Workers Party.

Campaign
As of the September FEC financial reporting deadline Rooney had collected $930,248 in campaign contributions and had $564,716 on hand; the FEC had no reports on Bronson or Baumann.

District 18
Allen West, who was first elected to represent Florida's 22nd congressional district in 2010, ran for re-election in the new 18th district. The new 18th district voting age population is 74.7% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 11.6% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 10.6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.4% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.7% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Allen West, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Robert Crowder, Martin County Sheriff

Democratic primary
Patrick Murphy, an environmental services executive, had planned to seek the Democratic nomination in the 22nd district, but announced in February 2012 that he would continue to challenge West in the 18th district.

Nominee

 * Patrick Murphy, environmental services executive

Eliminated in primary

 * Jerry Buechler
 * Jim Horn

Independents
Marilyn Davis Holloman qualified to run as a write-in. Everett Wilkinson, the chair of the South Florida Tea Party and registered to vote with no party affiliation, decided not to run.

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 19, 2012

District 19
In redistricting, the 14th district was renumbered as the 19th district. Connie Mack IV, who had represented the 14th district since 2005, will run for the U.S. Senate rather than for re-election. The new 19th district voting age population is 77.1% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 14.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.5% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.1% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Trey Radel, conservative radio talk show host

Eliminated in primary

 * Gary Aubuchon, state representative
 * Joe Davidow, attorney
 * Byron Donalds, banker
 * Chauncey Goss, son of former Director of Central Intelligence Porter Goss
 * Paige Kreegel, state representative

Withdrawn

 * Timothy John Rossano

Declined

 * Dudley Goodlette, state representative
 * Tom Grady, commissioner of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation
 * Tammy Hall, Lee County Commissioner
 * Ray Judah, Lee County Commissioner
 * Jeff Kottkamp, former Lieutenant Governor of Florida
 * Ray Price, member of the Naples City Council
 * Garrett Richter, state senator
 * Burt Saunders, former state senator
 * John Sawyer, state representative

Nominee

 * James Roach, retired GM research engineer, decorated Vietnam combat veteran and nominee for the 14th district in 2010

Independents
Brandon Smith was on the general election ballot as an independent candidate.

District 20
In redistricting, the 23rd District was renumbered as the 20th District. Democrat Alcee Hastings, who had represented the 23rd since 1993, ran for reelection—in effect, trading district numbers with fellow Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The new 20th district voting age population is 49.2% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 35.5% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 9.8% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 1.2% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 4.3% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Alcee Hastings, incumbent U.S. Representative

Withdrawn

 * Bernard Sansaricq, former president of the Senate of Haiti and nominee for this seat in 2010

Independents

 * Randall Terry, anti-abortion activist

District 21
In redistricting, most of the old 19th District became the 21st District. Ted Deutch, who had represented the 19th district since April 2010, ran for re-election The new 21st district voting age population is 66.6% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 17.6% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 10.6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.6% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 4.5% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Ted Deutch, incumbent U.S. Representative

Independents
Cesar Augusto Henao Cañas was an independent candidate.

District 22
Republican Allen West, who was first elected to represent Florida's 22nd congressional district in 2010, sought re-election in the new 18th district. The new 22nd district voting age population is 69.4% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 17.2% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 9.8% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 0.6% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.1% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Adam Hasner, former majority leader of the Florida House of Representatives

Declined

 * Chip LaMarca, Broward County Commissioner

Nominee

 * Lois Frankel, former mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida

Eliminated in primary

 * Kristin Jacobs, Broward County Commissioner

Declined

 * John Rodstrom, Broward County Commissioner

District 23
In redistricting, the 20th District was renumbered as the 23rd District. DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz who had represented the 20th since 2005, ran for re-election. The new 23rd district voting age population is 48.9% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 29.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 17.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 1.2% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 3.1% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Debbie Wasserman Schultz, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Karen Harrington, businesswoman and nominee for this seat in 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Gineen Bresso
 * Ozzie deFaria, businessman
 * Juan Eliel Garcia
 * Joseph Kaufman, Americans Against Hate founder

District 24
In redistricting, most of the old 17th District was renumbered as the 24th District. Democrat Frederica Wilson, who had represented the 17th since 2011, sought reelection. The new 24th district voting age population was 51.7% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 29.9% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 12.6% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 3.2% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.5% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Frederica Wilson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Rudy Moise, doctor and candidate for this seat in 2010

General election
Wilson was unopposed in the general election.

District 25
In redistricting, the 21st district was renumbered as the 25th district. Republican Mario Diaz-Balart, who had represented the 21st district since 2011, ran for re-election. The new 25th district voting age population is 68.9% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 21.2% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 1.7% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.1% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Mario Diaz-Balart, incumbent U.S. Representative

District 26
In redistricting, the old 25th District was renumbered as the 26th district. Republican David Rivera, who had represented the 25th since 2011, ran for reelection. The new 26th district voting age population is 67.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 20.2% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 8.6% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 1.5% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2.4% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * David Rivera, incumbent U.S. Representative

Declined

 * Carlos Curbelo, political consultant
 * Anitere Flores, state senator
 * Juan-Carlos Planas, former state representative
 * Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, state senator

Nominee

 * Joe Garcia, attorney, activist and nominee for this seat in 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Gustavo Marin, nonprofit consultant, university professor, and political analyst
 * Gloria Romero Roses, managing partner at Nexus Homes
 * Lamar Sternad, hotel auditor

Declined

 * Luis Garcia, state representative
 * Annette Taddeo, businesswoman and nominee for the 18th district in 2008

Campaign
Due to redistricting and constitutional amendments passed in 2010 restricting gerrymandering, the race was considered a toss-up. While the old 25th leaned Republican, the new district was split narrowly in half between Republicans and Democrats.

District 27
In redistricting, the old 18th District was renumbered as the 27th District. Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who had represented the 18th since 1989, will run for re-election. The new 27th district voting age population is 72.8% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Blacks), 17.5% non-Hispanic Whites (single race), 5.5% non-Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), 2.2% Hispanic Blacks (includes multirace), and 2% other races (non-Hispanic).

Nominee

 * Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Manny Yevancey

Withdrawn

 * Patrick Post