United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008

The 2008 congressional elections in Florida were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Florida in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress from January 4, 2009 until January 3, 2011. The election coincides with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Florida has twenty-five seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Its delegation to the 110th Congress of 2007-2009 consisted of sixteen Republicans and nine Democrats. In 2008, Districts 8 and 24 changed party from Republican to Democratic, and District 16 changed party from Democratic to Republican. Florida's delegation to the 111th Congress therefore consists of fifteen Republicans and ten Democrats, a net increase of one Democrat. CQ Politics had forecasted districts 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 24 and 25 to be at some risk for the incumbent party.

The Primary election was held August 26, 2008, with a registration deadline of July 28, 2008. The General election was held November 4, 2008, with a registration deadline of October 6, 2008.[1] Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the second day before an election.[2] In 2008, early voting ran from October 20 through November 2.

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 3,993,663 49.92% 15 –1
Democratic 3,812,163 47.65% 10 +1
Others 194,174 2.43% 0 0
Valid votes 8,000,000 94.60%
Invalid or blank votes 456,329 5.40%
Totals 8,456,329 100.00% 25 —
Voter turnout 75.2%

All of the vote totals were copied from the Secretary of State of Florida's Website

Match-up summary

District Incumbent 2008 Status Democratic Republican Other Party Independent
1 Jeff Miller Re-election Jim Bryan Jeff Miller
2 Allen Boyd Re-election Allen Boyd Mark Mulligan
3 Corrine Brown Re-election Corrine Brown
4 Ander Crenshaw Re-election Jay McGovern Ander Crenshaw
5 Ginny Brown-Waite Re-election John Russell Ginny Brown-Waite
6 Cliff Stearns Re-election Tim Cunha Cliff Stearns
7 John Mica Re-election Faye Armitage John Mica
8 Ric Keller Re-election Alan Grayson Ric Keller
9 Gus Michael Bilirakis Re-election Bill Mitchell Gus Michael Bilirakis Richard Emmons,
Andrew Pasayan 		John Kalimnios
10 Bill Young Re-election Bob Hackworth Bill Young
11 Kathy Castor Re-election Kathy Castor Eddie Adams, Jr.
12 Adam Putnam Re-election Doug Tudor Adam Putnam
13 Vern Buchanan Re-election Christine Jennings Vern Buchanan Jan Schneider
14 Connie Mack IV Re-election Robert Neeld Connie Mack IV
15 Dave Weldon Open Steve Blythe Bill Posey Jeffrey Bouffard Frank Zilaitis,
Trevor Lowing
16 Tim Mahoney Re-election Tim Mahoney Tom Rooney
17 Kendrick Meek Re-election Kendrick Meek
18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Re-election Annette Taddeo Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
19 Robert Wexler Re-election Robert Wexler Edward J. Lynch
20 Debbie Wasserman Schultz Re-election Debbie Wasserman Schultz Marc Luzietti Margaret Hostetter
21 Lincoln Diaz-Balart Re-election Raul L. Martinez Lincoln Diaz-Balart
22 Ron Klein Re-election Ron Klein Allen West (former U.S. military officer)
23 Alcee Hastings Re-election Alcee Hastings Marion Dennis Thorpe Jr.
24 Tom Feeney Re-election Suzanne Kosmas Tom Feeney
25 Mario Diaz-Balart Re-election Joe Garcia Mario Diaz-Balart

Congressional districts

District 1

Republican incumbent Jeff Miller has held this seat since winning a special election in 2001. He was challenged by Democrat Jim Bryan (campaign website), a Vietnam War veteran. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Incumbent Jeff Miller retained his seat with about 70 percent of the vote.

Florida's 1st congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Miller (incumbent) 232,559 70.2
Democratic Jim Bryan 98,797 29.8
Total votes 331,356 100.00
Republican hold

District 2

Democratic incumbent Allen Boyd has held this seat since 1997. Other contestants in this race included Republican challenger Mark Mulligan and write-in candidate Robert Ortiz. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

Allen Boyd was reelected with slightly under 62 percent of the vote.

Florida's 2nd congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Allen Boyd (incumbent) 216,804 61.9
Republican Mark Mulligan 133,404 38.1
Independent Robert Ortiz (write-in) 159 0.0
Total votes 348,367 100.00
Democratic hold

District 3

Democratic incumbent Corrine Brown has held this seat since 1993 and ran unopposed in this election.

District 4

Republican incumbent Ander Crenshaw has held this seat since 2001. He was challenged by Democrat Jay McGovern, an Iraq War veteran. CQ Politics forecasts the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Republican Ander Crenshaw was reelected with around 65 percent of the votes.

Florida's 4th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ander Crenshaw (incumbent) 224,112 65.3
Democratic Jay McGovern 119,330 34.7
Total votes 343,442 100.00
Republican hold

District 5

Republican incumbent Ginny Brown-Waite (campaign website), who has held this seat since 2003, was again challenged by Democrat John Russell (campaign website), who received 40% against Brown-Waite in the 2006 election. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'. (CPVI=R+5)

Brown-Waite attracted a serious primary challenger in this sprawling Nature Coast district. As of November, Jim King had already begun a media campaign attacking Brown-Waite from the right and appealing to the conservative Christians who exert a serious influence in the local Republican Party.[4] While King was a longshot to unseat Brown-Waite, a lengthy and divisive primary campaign of this sort risks draining the incumbent's campaign resources, splintering her support, and causing her to take up more conservative stances that would appeal less to moderate voters in the general election.

Russell is a businessman, acute care nurse practitioner and local activist. He hoped to capitalize on Brown-Waite's difficult primary, her modest fundraising, and the recent demographic changes in this high-growth area.

Results

Ginny Brown-Waite retained her seat. She received around 61 percent of the vote, improving her showing against Russell in the 2006 election by slightly over 1 percentage point.

Florida's 5th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ginny Brown-Waite (incumbent) 265,186 61.2
Democratic John Russell 168,446 38.8
Total votes 433,632 100.00
Republican hold

District 6

Republican incumbent Cliff Stearns has held this seat since 1989. He faced Democratic challenger Tim Cunha (campaign website). CQ Politics forecasts the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Incumbent Cliff Stearns was reelected with just under 61 percent of the votes.

Florida's 6th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cliff Stearns (incumbent) 228,302 60.9
Democratic Tim Cunha 146,655 39.1
Total votes 374,957 100.00
Republican hold

District 7

Republican incumbent John Mica, representing the district since 1993, faced Democratic challenger, Faye Armitage (campaign website). CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Incumbent John Mica held his seat, gaining 62 percent of the votes.

Florida's 7th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Mica (incumbent) 238,721 62.0
Democratic Faye Armitage 146,292 38.0
Total votes 385,013 100.00
Republican hold

District 8

Democratic nominee Alan Grayson challenged Republican incumbent Ric Keller, who had held the seat since 2001. On October 21, 2008, CQ Politics switched its outlook on the race from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Democratic," citing the fact that there are now more registered Democrats that Republicans in Keller's district.[5] George W. Bush had won the district in 2004 with 55% of the vote (CPVI=R+3).

In 2006, Keller, author of the "Cheeseburger Bill", was reelected by less than expected to Orlando businessman Charlie Stuart, who polled 46%. After the November 2006 election, Keller announced that he would break his 2000 pledge to serve only four terms. Todd Long, an Orlando attorney and radio talk show host, then announced he would challenge Keller in the Republican primary, promising to make an issue of the broken term-limits pledge.[6] Greg Lewis and retired Marine Corps officer Bob Hering also announced they would challenge Keller in the primary, but they did not meet the qualifying requirements. The Keller-Long primary fight intensified over the summer, with Keller's term limit retraction, as well as his vote against The Surge[7] making him increasingly vulnerable to defeat. However, just days before the August 26 primary, Keller sent out a mailer exposing Long's arrest record, a DUI, and another trespass warning.[8] Keller squeaked by with a 53%-47% win in the GOP primary,[9] but his reputation took a hit, as many saw the mailer as a political "dirty trick."

Grayson, an attorney who prosecutes war profiteers, had run unsuccessfully in the 2006 Democratic primary. In the 2008 primary, he faced large field, including Charlie Stuart, who had lost to Keller by six percentage points in 2006; Mike Smith, a former state prosecutor and current trial lawyer with Morgan & Morgan; Corbett Kroeler, an environmental activist; Quoc Ba Van, local weight-lifting champion and recent Emory Law School graduate.[10][11][12]

Results

Alan Grayson defeated incumbent Ric Keller, receiving 52 percent of the vote. This was one of two pickups for the Democratic Party in Florida, along with District 24. The general election was heated, with "mudslinging" and attack ads by both sides on television and in mailers. The race gained considerable national attention.

Florida's 8th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alan Grayson 172,854 52.0
Republican Ric Keller (incumbent) 159,490 48.0
Total votes 332,244 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 9

Republican freshman incumbent Gus Michael Bilirakis faced several opponents in this race. Challengers included Democrat Bill Mitchell, independents Richard Emmons and John Kalimnios, and write-in candidate Andrew Pasayan. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Incumbent Gus Michael Bilirakis retained his seat, receiving around 62 percent of the votes.

Florida's 9th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gus Michael Bilirakis (incumbent) 216,591 62.2
Democratic Bill Mitchell 126,346 36.3
Independent John Kalimnios 3,394 1.0
Independent Richard Emmons 2,042 0.6
Independent Andrew Pasayan (write-in) 5 0.0
Total votes 348,378 100.00
Republican hold

District 10

Republican incumbent Bill Young, who has represented this district since 1971 and is currently the longest-serving Republican in the House, faced Dunedin Mayor Democrat Bob Hackworth and write in candidate Don Callahan. Bob Hackworth won the Democratic primary on August 26, 2008 with 46% of the vote, defeating Samm Simpson and Max Linn.[13] CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Bill Young was reelected, receiving around 61 percent of the votes.

Florida's 10th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Young (incumbent) 182,781 60.7
Democratic Bob Hackworth 118,430 39.3
Independent Don Callahan (write-in) 9 0.0
Total votes 301,220 100.00
Republican hold

District 11

Freshman Democratic congresswoman Kathy Castor faced Republican challenger Eddie Adams, Jr.. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

Kathy Castor easily retained her seat with nearly 72 percent of the votes.

Florida's 11th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Castor (incumbent) 184,106 71.7
Republican Eddie Adams, Jr. 72,825 28.3
Total votes 256,931 100.00
Democratic hold

District 12

Republican incumbent Adam Putnam, who has held this seat since 2001, was challenged by Democrat and retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Doug Tudor. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Adam Putnam was reelected, receiving 57.5 percent of the vote.

Florida's 12th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Adam Putnam (incumbent) 185,698 57.5
Democratic Doug Tudor 137,465 42.5
Total votes 323,163 100.00
Republican hold

District 13

Freshman Republican incumbent Vern Buchanan (campaign website) was again challenged by Democratic banker Christine Jennings (campaign website). Former Democratic Congressional candidate Jan Schneider also filed, running as an Independent.[14] This was expected to be a competitive race in 2008, though Buchanan was far ahead of Jennings in fundraising. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Leans Republican'. George W. Bush won 56% of the district's vote in 2004 (CPVI=R+4).

Buchanan was certified as having won in 2006 by a 369-vote margin over Jennings, but Jennings challenged the election in court. Although Buchanan was seated by the House, the House has made no final decision on the matter. In mid-July 2007, Jennings announced she would run again in 2008.[15]

Results

Vern Buchanan was reelected to a second term. In contrast to the 2006 election, Buchanan won by a convincing margin, receiving 55.5 percent of the vote.

Florida's 13th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Vern Buchanan (incumbent) 204,382 55.5
Democratic Christine Jennings 137,967 37.5
Independent Jan Schneider 20,289 5.5
Independent Don Baldauf 5,358 1.5
Total votes 367,996 100.00
Republican hold

District 14

Republican incumbent Connie Mack, holder of this seat since 2005, was challenged by Democrat Robert Neeld (campaign website), Independent Jeff George (campaign website) and Republican State Senator Burt Saunders (who ran as an Independent). CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

Connie Mack was returned to Congress for a third term, receiving over 59 percent of the votes.

Florida's 14th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Mack (incumbent) 224,602 59.4
Democratic Robert Neeld 93,590 24.8
Independent Burt Saunders 54,750 14.5
Independent Jeff George 4,949 1.3
Total votes 377,891 100.00
Republican hold

District 15

Seven-term Republican incumbent Dave Weldon had easily won re-election contests for a decade, but is retiring in 2008, leaving this Florida's only open House seat. Republican nominee State Senator Bill Posey, who was endorsed by Weldon and the Florida Republican Party, faced Democratic nominee physician Steve Blythe (campaign website). Independent candidates Frank Zilaitis and Trevor Lowing also ran for the seat. Libertarian Jeffrey Bouffard, a computer engineer and army veteran, also filed to run, but did not qualify for the ballot.[16] CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Republican Favored'. George W. Bush won 57% of the vote here in 2004 (CPVI=R+4).

Results

Bill Posey won the open seat with 53 percent of the vote. As a result, this seat remained under Republican control for the 111th Congress.

Florida's 15th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Posey 192,151 53.1
Democratic Steve Blythe 151,951 42.0
Independent Frank Zilaitis 14,274 3.9
Independent Trevor Lowing 3,495 1.0
Total votes 361,871 100.00
Republican hold

District 16

Republican nominee Tom Rooney faced Democratic incumbent Tim Mahoney.

This is normally a solidly Republican district, so consensus was that Mahoney's 50% to 48% win in 2006 could be attributed to the Mark Foley scandal. The Republican nominee Joe Negron's 2006 campaign was harmed by the fact that Foley's name remained on the ballot even though he was not a candidate, as his withdrawal from the race came too late to replace him on the ballot under Florida law.[17] George W. Bush won this district by a 10-point margin in 2004 (CPVI=R+2).

Attorney Rooney won the Republican primary election against State Rep. Gayle Harrell and Palm Beach Gardens City Councilman Hal Valeche.[16]

On October 12, 2008, it was revealed that Mahoney had an affair with a staffer, and had paid her $121,000 in a settlement to stave off a potential lawsuit. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for an ethics inquiry.[18] Two days later, CQ Politics changed their forecast on the race from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Republican".[19]

Results

Republican Tom Rooney, with 60 percent of the votes, defeated incumbent Congressman Tim Mahoney. This was the only district in Florida to switch from Democratic to Republican control in 2008.

Florida's 16th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Rooney 209,874 60.1
Democratic Tim Mahoney (incumbent) 139,373 39.9
Total votes 349,247 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 17

Democratic three-term incumbent Kendrick Meek ran unopposed in this heavily Democratic district (CPVI=D+35).

District 18

Republican incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has held this seat since 1989; however, her district has been increasingly trending Democratic in recent elections. The district contains many Miami suburbs and the entire Florida Keys. Founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak and Chair of the Women's Enterprise National Council's Leadership Forum Annette Taddeo was the Democratic nominee and was able to raise a significant sum of money. Nonetheless, polls throughout the campaign showed Ros-Lehtinen in the lead. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Republican Favored'.

Results

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen defeated challenger Taddeo, receiving nearly 58 percent of the vote.

Florida's 18th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (incumbent) 140,617 57.9
Democratic Annette Taddeo 102,372 42.1
Total votes 242,989 100.00
Republican hold

District 19

Democratic incumbent Robert Wexler, representing this district since 1997, faced Republican Edward J. Lynch and fellow Democrat Ben Graber, who chose to run as an independent candidate rather than compete against Wexler in the Democratic primary.[20] Wexler had run opposed in the previous two elections. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

Wexler retained his seat, receiving around 66 percent of the vote.

Florida's 19th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Wexler (incumbent) 202,465 66.2
Republican Edward J. Lynch 83,357 27.2
Independent Ben Graber 20,214 6.6
Total votes 306,036 100.00
Democratic hold

District 20

Democratic incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz (campaign website) has held this seat since 2005. Challengers Margaret Hostetter, who ran against Wasserman Schultz as a Republican in 2004 but chose to run as an independent in 2008, and Socialist write-in candidate Marc Luzietti (campaign website) were not expected to be serious threats to Wasserman Schultz. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

As expected, Debbie Wasserman Schultz easily won reelection, receiving over 77 percent of the vote.

Florida's 20th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Debbie Wasserman Schultz (incumbent) 202,832 77.5
Independent Margaret Hostetter 58,958 22.5
Socialist Marc Luzietti (write-in) 9 0.0
Total votes 261,799 100.00
Democratic hold

District 21

Republican incumbent Lincoln Diaz-Balart (campaign website) had faced little more than token opposition since taking office in 1993. This year, however, the race was expected to be much tougher for Diaz-Balart, as the Democratic nominee, former Hialeah Mayor Raul L. Martinez (campaign website), is very well known in the area and could be a formidable challenger.[21] CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Leans Republican'. Rothenberg rated it as 'Pure Toss-Up.'[22] Cook rated it as 'Republican Toss-Up'.[23] Bush won 57% of the vote here in 2004 (CPVI=R+6).

On May 22, 2008, Diaz-Balart did not attend a debate hosted by the South Florida AFL-CIO with Martinez due to scheduling and venue issues.[24]

A July 7 poll conducted by a noted Democratic polster, Sergio Bendixen, showed Diaz-Balart ahead of Martinez by a four point margin, 41 to 37 percent, with 22 percent undecided. David Hill, the Diaz-Balart brothers' pollster, said Lincoln's internal polling shows the congressman with a 12-point lead over Martinez and a "double-digit advantage over his opponent in virtually every significant segment of the electorate."[25]

On August 1, 2008, a leading Washington analyst, Rothenberg Political Report, reported that they see a "possible re-election trouble for Lincoln Diaz-Balart".[26] According to an August 14, 2008 Time article, Lincoln Diaz-Balart faces a competitive race. It also said that "Democratic voter registration in Miami-Dade County, as in other places, is up, and Republican registration is down."[27]

On August 25, 2008, Lincoln Diaz-Balart agreed to debate Martinez, at a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce event at noon on October 8.[28] On August 26, 2008, Martinez challenged Diaz-Balart to an additional debate in Denver, Colorado, which both candidates were visiting during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[29]

In a SurveyUSA poll sponsored by Roll Call conducted in August 2008, Martinez led Diaz-Balart (48% to 46%) among likely voters.[30] According to the poll, Diaz-Balart enjoyed 70% support from Cuban-Americans in the district. The poll's demographics (which were chosen by the pollster in 2008) are different from those of the district (based on the US census of 2000.) 51% of those questioned were Hispanic (34% of respondents were Cuban and 17% were non-Cuban). The percentage of Hispanics in the district is higher at 69.7%.[31] Later polls, however, showed Diaz-Balart back in the lead.

Results

Despite predictions of a close election, Lincoln Diaz-Balart won reelection by a fairly comfortable margin, receiving just under 58 percent of the vote.

Florida's 21st congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart (incumbent) 137,226 57.9
Democratic Raul L. Martinez 99,776 42.1
Total votes 237,002 100.00
Republican hold

District 22

First-term Democratic incumbent Ron Klein was challenged by former army officer and Iraq War veteran Allen West. Michael Prysner, an Iraq War veteran, peace activist, and college student, ran as a write-in candidate on the Party for Socialism and Liberation ticket. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Democrat Favored'.

Republicans suffered a setback when popular former Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams announced he would not run. West and former navy pilot Mark Flagg announced they would run. Neurosurgeon Robert Brodner and 2006 Connecticut U.S. senatorial candidate Alan Schlesinger were also potential candidates.[32] This Fort Lauderdale area district barely went to John Kerry in 2004 (CPVI=D+4).

Results

Ron Klein successfully defended his seat, receiving slightly less than 55 percent of the vote.

Florida's 22nd congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ron Klein (incumbent) 169,041 54.7
Republican Allen West 140,104 45.3
Independent Michael Prysner (write-in) 6 0.0
Total votes 309,151 100.00
Democratic hold

District 23

Democratic incumbent Alcee Hastings, who has held this seat since 1993, faced Republican Marion Dennis Thorpe Jr. in this heavily Democratic district. CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

Alcee Hastings easily retained his seat with over 82 percent of the vote.

Florida's 23rd congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alcee Hastings (incumbent) 172,835 82.2
Republican Marion Dennis Thorpe Jr. 37,431 17.8
Independent April Cook (write-in) 40 0.0
Total votes 210,306 100.00
Democratic hold

District 24

Three-term Republican incumbent Tom Feeney (campaign website) faced Democrat nominee and former State Representative Suzanne Kosmas (campaign website) and independent Gaurav Bhola.[33] On October 21, 2008, CQ Politics switched its outlook on the race from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Democratic."[5]

The district includes the Orlando suburbs as well as the Space Coast of Florida. In 2006, Feeney was re-elected by 58% to 42%. Although Feeney reportedly drew the district for himself while serving as speaker of the state house, the district is actually somewhat marginal on paper (CPVI=R+3). Bush took 55 percent of the vote in this district in 2004.

Results

Suzanne Kosmas ousted incumbent Tom Feeney, receiving around 57 percent of the vote. This district was one of two in Florida to switch from Republican to Democratic control in 2008, along with District 8.

Florida's 24th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Suzanne Kosmas 211,284 57.2
Republican Tom Feeney (incumbent) 151,863 41.1
Independent Gaurav Bhola 6,223 1.7
Total votes 379,370 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 25

Republican three-term incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart faced Miami-Dade County Democratic Party chairman Joe Garcia (campaign website), a former executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF).[34] CQ Politics forecasted the race as 'Leans Republican'.[35] The Rothenberg Political Report as 'Toss-Up/Tilt Republican'.[36] The Cook Political Report as 'Republican Toss Up'.[37] Bush won 56% of the vote here in 2004 (CPVI=R+4).

Garcia announced on February 7, 2008, his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 25th congressional district.

In March 2008, the Garcia's campaign announced that noted political strategist Joe Trippi, the campaign manager for 2004 presidential candidate and former Vermont governor Howard Dean, was joining the campaign team as Senior Media Adviser.

In April 2008, Garcia held a controversial fundraiser with Representative Charles B. Rangel, who has met repeatedly with Fidel Castro and pushed legislation that would allow U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba and allow American firms to do business there. Garcia said he "has serious disagreements with Rangel on Cuba. But having a relationship with the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee would help him bring federal money back to the district." Diaz-Balart claimed Garcia had a radical left-wing agenda including supporting higher taxes on working families and appeasing the nation's enemies.[38]

An August 14, 2008 Time article labeled the race as competitive, pointing out that "Democratic voter registration in Miami-Dade County, as in other places, is up, and Republican registration is down".[27]

According to many commentators, Garcia is Mario Diaz-Balart's most formidable political opponent ever because of the amount of money that he has raised and the national media attention that he has generated [39][40][41][42][43] Nonetheless, the Rothenberg Political Report [44] and CQ Politics [35] rated the seat as "Toss-up/Tilt Republican," the Cook Political Report [45] rated the district as "Likely Republican," and the Crystal Ball has rated the district as "Safe Republican" [46]

A poll of the race, that was conducted June 6 to 22, by noted Democratic pollster, Sergio Bendixen, showed Diaz-Balart ahead of Garcia 44 percent to 39 percent, with 17 percent undecided.[25]

As of August 6, 2008, Garcia has raised $1,001,313 with $789,667 cash on hand for the 2007-2008 cycle. Mario Diaz-Balart, the five year incumbent, has raised $1,188,193 and has $1,029,556 cash on hand during the same cycle.[47]

Results

Mario Diaz-Balart held off challenger Joe Garcia, receiving slightly more than 53 percent of the vote.

Florida's 25th congressional district election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mario Diaz-Balart (incumbent) 130,891 53.1
Democratic Joe Garcia 115,820 46.9
Total votes 246,711 100.00
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ Calendar of Election Dates Florida Division of Elections
  2. ↑ Early Voting Florida Division of Elections
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "Florida Department of State Division of Elections - November 4, 2008 General Election". Secretary of State of Florida. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
  4. ↑ sptimes.com
  5. 1 2
  6. ↑ Rachel Kapochunas, "Keller’s Early ‘08 Opponent Focusing on Broken Term Limit Pledge", New York Times, December 5, 2006
  7. ↑ Ric Keller faces tight race after pair of costly decisions
  8. ↑ Keller: GOP rival has booze history
  9. ↑ Florida Rep. Keller Gets Primary Scare
  10. ↑ Garcia, Jason (June 19, 2007). "Keller Draws More Competition". Orlando Sentinel Central Florida Political Pulse Blog (Orlando Sentinel). Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  11. ↑ Brendan Farrington, "Florida will be a congressional battleground again in 2008", Herald Tribune, June 23, 2007
  12. ↑ Scott Maxwell "More Keller competition", Orlando Sentinel, June 20, 2007
  13. ↑ Election Results. Baynews9.com. Online. August 26, 2008.
  14. ↑ southernpoliticalreport.com
  15. ↑ Jeremy Wallace,"Jennings to run for Congress again", Herald-Tribune, July 20, 2007
  16. 1 2 "Candidate Listing for 2008 General Election". Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
  17. ↑ "Report: Foley allegedly tried to meet page". CNN. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2006-10-02.
  18. ↑ Urbina, Ian (October 13, 2008). "Sex Scandal Shakes Race for Congress in Florida". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  19. ↑ Kapochunas, Rachel (October 14, 2008). "Scandal Casts Shadow on Democrat Mahoney’s Re-Election Bid". Congressional Quarterly. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  20. ↑ Bennett, George (12 October 2008). "Aggressive rivals, residency flap muddy Wexler's path to reelection". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  21. ↑ thehill.com
  22. ↑ 2008 House Ratings The Rothenberg Political Report, October 14, 2008
  23. ↑ 2008 Competitive House Race Chart The Cook Political Report, October 13, 2008
  24. ↑ The Miami Herald; Dade GOP incumbents pull out of debates by Lesley Clark, May 22, 2008
  25. 1 2 Poll: 2 GOP incumbents' leading by single digits in Florida | Politics | McClatchy DC
  26. ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Leading Washington analyst sees possible re-election trouble for Lincoln Diaz-Balart by Anthony Man; August 1, 2008.
  27. 1 2 Padgett, Tim (14 August 2008). "Big Trouble in Little Havana". Time.
  28. ↑
  29. ↑ The Miami Herald; Diaz-Balart Jabs on Obama Turf by Lesley Clark; August 26, 2008, Page 1B
  30. ↑ SurveyUSA Poll
  31. ↑ https://web.archive.org/20080927024702/http://projects.washingtonpost.com:80/elections/keyraces/census/fl/district-21/. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ↑ politics1.com
  33. ↑ orlandosentinel.com
  34. ↑ Luis Rumbaut, "Cuban-Americans Ready For Change? Florida House Races Show a New Democratic Alignment Could Emerge", Washington Independent, February 9, 2007
  35. 1 2 CQ Politics
  36. ↑ Rothenberg Political Report The Rothenberg Political Report, November 2, 2008
  37. ↑ Competitive House Race Chart Cook Political Report
  38. ↑ Reinhard, Beth Congressman's help in South Florida race may backfire Miami Herald, April 9, 2008
  39. ↑ Rieff, David Will Little Havana Go Blue? New York Times, July 13, 2008
  40. ↑ Miami New Times, Best Politician of 2008: Joe Garcia, May 15, 2008
  41. ↑ The Sun Sentinel, Garcia, sí! Diaz-Balart, no! by Stephen Goldstein, May 7, 2008
  42. ↑ The Sun-Sentinel, Miami's Diaz-Balart brothers face strong challenges for congressional seats by Laura Wides-Muñoz, Associated Press, March 21, 2008
  43. ↑ FL-18, 21, 25: South Florida Republicans under pressure
  44. ↑ Rothenberg Political Report, as of 2008-07-29
  45. ↑ Cook Political Report, as of 2008-07-31
  46. ↑ Crystal Ball, as of 2008-07-30
  47. ↑ http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_08+FL+25

External links

Preceded by
2006 elections		 United States House elections in Florida
2008 		Succeeded by
2010 elections
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