2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida

The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the 27 U.S. representatives from the state of Florida, one from each of the state's 27 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including Governor of Florida. There was no net party change, as Democrat Gwen Graham defeated Republican incumbent Steve Southerland in the 2nd district, while Republican Carlos Curbelo defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Garcia in the 26th district.

Overview Statewide PartyCandidatesVotesSeats %+/– % Republican 26 2,713,451 54.3% 17 63.0% Democratic 24 2,130,626 42.6% 10 37.0% Independent 9 91,081 1.8% 0 0.0% Libertarian 2 61,989 1.2% 0 0.0% Write-in 8 1,388 0.0% 0 0.0%Total 4,998,555 100.0% 27 100.0%

District Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida by district:

DistrictRepublicanDemocraticOthersTotalResult Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %District 1 165,086 70.15% 54,976 23.36% 15,281 6.49% 235,343 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 2 123,262 49.35% 126,096 50.48% 422 0.17% 249,780 100.00% Democratic gainDistrict 3 148,691 64.99% 73,910 32.30% 6,208 2.71% 228,809 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 4 177,887 78.28% 0 0.00% 49,366 21.72% 227,253 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 5 59,237 34.53% 112,340 65.47% 0 0.00 171,577 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 6 166,254 62.54% 99,563 37.46% 0 0.00% 265,817 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 7 144,474 63.60% 73,011 32.14% 9,679 4.26% 227,164 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 8 180,728 65.84% 93,724 34.14% 61 0.02% 274,513 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 9 74,963 43.11% 93,850 53.98% 5,065 2.91% 173,878 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 10 143,128 61.54% 89,426 38.45% 20 0.01% 232,574 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 11 181,508 66.66% 90,786 33.34% 0 0.00% 272,294 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 12 – – – – – – – – Republican holdDistrict 13 168,172 75.22% 0 0.00% 55,404 24.78% 223,576 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 14 – – – – – – – – Democratic holdDistrict 15 128,750 60.28% 84,832 39.72% 0 0.00% 213,582 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 16 169,126 61.54% 105,483 38.38% 220 0.08% 274,829 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 17 141,493 63.24% 82,263 36.76% 0 0.00% 223,756 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 18 101,896 40.22% 151,478 59.78% 0 0.00% 253,374 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 19 159,354 64.55% 80,824 32.74% 6,683 2.71% 246,861 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 20 28,968 18.40% 128,498 81.60% 0 0.00% 157,466 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 21 0 0.00% 153,395 99.63% 575 0.37% 153,970 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 22 90,685 41.97% 125,404 58.03% 7 0.00% 216,096 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 23 61,519 37.33% 103,269 62.67% 0 0.00% 164,788 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 24 15,239 10.16% 129,192 86.18% 5,487 3.66% 149,918 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 25 – – – – – – – – Republican holdDistrict 26 83,031 51.46% 78,306 48.54% 0 0.00% 161,337 100.00% Republican gainDistrict 27 – – – – – – – – Republican holdTotal 2,713,451 54.28% 2,130,626 42.63% 154,478 3.09% 4,998,555 100.00%

District 1

Incumbent Republican Jeff Miller, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Jeff Miller, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary John Krause

Withdrawn Travis Pierce Miller

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jim Bryan, retired Army officer and nominee for this seat in 2010

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 2

Incumbent Republican Steve Southerland, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Steve Southerland, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Gwen Graham, Leon County school administrator and the daughter of Bob Graham, former United States Senator and Governor of Florida

General election Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror SteveSoutherland (R) GwenGraham (D) UndecidedNational Research Group (R-Southerland) October 1–2, 2014 400 ± 4.9% 45% 39% 16%Anzalone Liszt Grove (D-Graham)Anzalone Liszt Grove (D-Graham) September 21–24, 2014 500 ± 4.4% 45% 48% 7%Pathfinder Opinion ResearchPathfinder Opinion Research August 11–12, 2014 400 ± 4.4% 43% 45% 11%Pathfinder Opinion Research April 22–24, 2014 500 ± 4.4% 49% 39% 11%Anzalone Liszt Grove (D-Graham)Anzalone Liszt Grove (D-Graham) March 2–6, 2014 500 ± 4.4% 42% 40% 18%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 21–22, 2013 965 ± 3.2% 41% 44% 15%Clarity Campaign LabsClarity Campaign Labs August 27–28, 2013 1,152 ± 2.9% 44% 42% 14%

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results Graham won the race by a narrow 1.2% margin, or over 2,800 votes, making Southerland one of only two sitting Republicans to be defeated by a Democrat in 2014 (the other being Lee Terry in Nebraska's 2nd).

District 3

Incumbent Republican Ted Yoho, who had represented the district since 2013, after defeating Republican incumbent Cliff Stearns in the primary, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Campaign Jake Rush, an attorney and former Alachua County Sheriff's deputy, challenged Yoho in the Republican primary. Following the launch of his campaign, he received national media attention related to his involvement with live action role-playing (particularly the supernaturally themed Mind's Eye Theatre) and costuming.

Candidates Nominee Ted Yoho, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary Jake Rush, attorney and former Alachua County Sheriff's deputy

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Marihelen Wheeler, middle school art teacher

Withdrawn Aquasia Johnson McDowell

General election Endorsements

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 4

Incumbent Republican Ander Crenshaw, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Ander Crenshaw, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary Ryman Shoaf, US Navy veteran

Results

Democratic primary The Democratic Party did not run a candidate in this race.

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 5

Incumbent Democrat Corrine Brown, who had represented the district since 2013, having previously represented the 3rd district from 1993 to 2013, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Corrine Brown, incumbent U.S. Representative

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Glo Smith, businesswoman and former staff aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll

Eliminated in primary Thuy Lowe

Results

General election Endorsements

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 6

Incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis, who had represented the district since 2013, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Ron DeSantis, incumbent U.S. Representative and Iraq war veteran

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee David Cox, director of resources at Bethune-Cookman University

Withdrawn Andrew Scott

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 7

The 7th District, includes most of Seminole County, the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orange County, and parts of Deltona in Volusia County. Incumbent Republican John Mica, who had represented the district since 1993, ran for re-election. In 2012, when Mica ran for re-election in the redrawn district, he won with 59% of the vote, his smallest margin of victory in twenty years.

Republican primary Polling taken during the 2013 government shutdown showed that Mica was vulnerable to an opponent, with only 33% of the district's voters indicating that they approved of his performance, while 50% disapproved. The early predictions proved to be unfounded, and Mica's popularity rebounded considerably over the summer of 2014. Mica was a heavy favourite to win the GOP primary, and on August 26, trounced his GOP challengers with over 72% of the vote.

Candidates Nominee John Mica, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary Don Oehlrich Kelly Shirley, pharmacist David Smith, business executive

Withdrawn Alan Azcona Zechariah Blanchard

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Wes Neuman, former White House intern and LMI analyst

General election Campaign On September 25, 2014, after over a month of keeping a low profile, Democratic challenger Wes Neuman announced he "made a mistake" in challenging Mica and would no longer be actively campaigning.

Al Krulick appeared on the ballot with no party affiliation.

Endorsements

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JohnMica (R) Democraticopponent (D) Other UndecidedPublic Policy Polling October 15–16, 2013 597 ± ?% 43% 46% — 11%

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 8

Incumbent Republican Bill Posey, who had represented the district since 2013, having represented the 15th district from 2009 to 2013, prior to the decennial redistricting, ran for re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Bill Posey, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Gabriel Rothblatt, technoprogressive political activist

Withdrawn Corry Westbrook, former legislative director for the National Wildlife Federation

General election Campaign Rothblatt's belief in transhumanism and his family ties were both regularly covered by the media. Jessica Roy, from Time, commented that his status as a member of Terasem might be just as difficult for his campaign as being a Democrat in the Republican majority district.

During a campaign event, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist introduced him by saying, "Gabriel is the messenger that God sent."

Others were critical of Rothblatt's campaign. Katie Prill, from the National Republican Congressional Committee, wrote that "his radical ideas are too extreme for Florida families." Posey's spokesman, George Cecala, stated, "It all comes down to the real issue, and that is Bill Posey is a conservative and Gabriel Rothblatt is a liberal.

Endorsements

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportNovember 3, 2014 Rothenberg October 24, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 30, 2014RCP November 2, 2014Daily Kos Elections November 4, 2014

Results

District 9

Incumbent Democrat Alan Grayson, who had represented the district since 2013, ran for re-election. He previously represented the 8th district from 2009 to 2011, prior to the decennial redistricting.

Democratic primary Grayson was challenged in the primary by Democrat Nick Ruiz, a professor from the University of Florida. In 2012, Ruiz ran for the Democratic nomination in the 7th District. Ruiz made a somewhat surprising move to FL-09 for 2014.

Candidates Nominee Alan Grayson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary