The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the 27 congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's 27 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 on 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. United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2012PartyVotesPercentageSeats+/– Republican4,157,04651.61%17−2 Democratic3,678,72545.67%10+4 Other Parties219,3742.72%0 — Totals 8,055,145 100% 27 +2
District 1
Florida's new 1st district voting age population was 77.6% White (single race), 12.9% Black (includes multirace), 4.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.3% Hispanic Black (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.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Jeff Miller, incumbent U.S. representative
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee James Bryan, Army veteranFlorida Division of Elections
Libertarian primary Candidates 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.
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call, November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal BallCrystal Ball , November 5, 2012 NY TimesHouse Race Ratings, The New York Times, November 4, 2012RCP, November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 2
Florida's new 2nd district voting age population was 68.5% non-Hispanic White (single race), 23.5% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 4.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.3% Hispanic Black (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.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Steve Southerland, incumbent U.S. representative
Democratic primary Former Republican state senator Nancy Argenziano was barred from running as a Democrat by state law, and tried to run on the Independent Party of Florida line, but ultimately withdrew.
Candidates 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
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Polling Pollsource Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror SteveSoutherland (R) AlLawson (D) UndecidedStPetePollsStPetePolls October 3–5, 2012 450 ± 4.6% 46% 47% 8%Lester (D-DCCC)Lester (D-DCCC) September 15–17, 2012 401 ± 4.9% 43% 43% 14%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 17, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball December 12, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
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 was 75.8% non-Hispanic White (single race), 12.9% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 6.7% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.3% Hispanic Black (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.
Candidates Nominee Ted Yoho, veterinarian
Eliminated in primary James Jett, police officer Steve Oelrich, state senator Cliff Stearns, incumbent U.S. representative
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee J.R. Gaillot, policy consultant
General election Endorsements
Polling Pollsource Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror TedYoho (R) J. R.Gaillot (D) UndecidedStPetePollsStPetePolls September 1–3, 2012 668 ± 5.0% 56% 31% 13%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 4
Florida's new 4th district voting age population was 74.9% non-Hispanic White (single race), 12.5% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 6.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.4% Hispanic Black (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.2012 primary election results from Florida Election Watch
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Ander Crenshaw, incumbent U.S. representative
Eliminated in primary Bob Black Deborah Pueschel
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Withdrawn Gary Koniz
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 5
Florida's new 5th district voting age population was 49% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 36.2% non-Hispanic White (single race), 10% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 1.1% Hispanic Black (includes multirace), and 3.7% other races (non-Hispanic). It is the successor to the former 3rd district, which had been represented by Democrat Corrine Brown since 1993.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Corrine Brown, incumbent U.S. representative
Republican primary Candidates Nominee LeAnne Kolb
Withdrawn Mike Yost, nominee for this seat in 2010
Libertarian primary Gerald Nyren announced plans to run as a Libertarian Party candidate.
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
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 was 82.8% non-Hispanic White (single race), 8.8% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 5.4% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.3% Hispanic Black (includes multirace), and 2.7% other races (non-Hispanic).
Republican primary Candidates 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
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Heather Beaven, former Navy cryptologist and nominee for the 7th district in 2010
Eliminated in primary Vipin Verma, attorney
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
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 7th district voting age population was 70.2% non-Hispanic White (single race), 8.1% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 8.1 percent Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.9 percent Hispanic Black (includes multirace) and 4.7% other races (non-Hispanic).
Republican primary Candidates Nominee John Mica, incumbent U.S. representative from the 6th district
Eliminated in primary Sandy Adams, incumbent U.S. representative from the 24th district
Endorsements
Primary results
Mica defeated Adams in the Republican primary with 61 percent of the vote.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jason Kendall, social media consultant and sales manager
Eliminated in primary Nicholas Ruiz
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
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 White (single race), 8.7% non-Hispanic Black (includes multirace), 7.3% Hispanic (excludes Hispanic Black), 0.4% Hispanic Black (includes multirace), and 3.2% other races (non-Hispanic).
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Bill Posey, incumbent U.S. representative
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Shannon Roberts, former NASA & federal official and Cape Canaveral City Council member
General election Endorsements
Predictions