Florida's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida, covering the state's western Panhandle. It includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton county. The district is anchored in Pensacola and also includes the large military bedroom communities and tourist destinations of Navarre and Fort Walton Beach and stretches along the Emerald Coast. The district was previously represented by Republican Matt Gaetz. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+18, it is the most Republican district in Florida.

Due to the election to replace Matt Gaetz, who had resigned in 2024, the district held the 2025 special election between Jimmy Patronis (R) and Gay Valimont (D), Patronis was declared the winner shortly after polls closed. Although Valimont lost, she had flipped Escambia County, becoming the first Democrat to win the county since Earl Hutto in 1992. This was one of the two special elections on April 1, the other being in Florida's 6th congressional district.

The elections had national attention in 2025. According to a report by NBC News, the two Democratic candidates in these elections have raised a combined $15.7 million as of March 21, 2025, and 75% of donations were in the range of $200 or less. According to FEC filings, Valimont raised 6.5 million dollars.

Characteristics The district encompasses the western part of the Florida Panhandle, in the extreme western portion of the state, stretching from Pensacola and the Alabama border east including all of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Counties and the western 2/3 of Walton County .

Most of the territory now in the 1st District had been the 3rd District from 1903 to 1963; however, it has been numbered as the 1st District since then. It cast aside its Democratic roots far sooner than most of the other areas of the state. It has not supported a Democrat for president since John F. Kennedy in 1960. In 1964, Republican Barry Goldwater carried the district by such a large margin that it nearly pushed Florida's electoral votes into the Republican column. It has continued to vote for Republicans by very wide margins, with the only exception being 1976, where Gerald Ford won a narrow 50–49 victory over Jimmy Carter. Nonetheless, it usually continued to elect conservative Democrats at the state and local level, even in years when Republican presidential candidates won the district handily. Well into the 1980s, the district's congressmen and state lawmakers only faced "sacrificial lamb" Republican challengers on the occasions they faced any opposition at all. For example, Democratic incumbent Earl Hutto was unopposed for reelection in 1984 even as Ronald Reagan won the district with over 70 percent of the vote. As late as 1992, Democratic senator Bob Graham easily carried the district with 54 percent of the vote—more than double Bill Clinton's total in the district.

This changed with the Republican Revolution of 1994. That year, Joe Scarborough became the first Republican to represent the Panhandle since Reconstruction. This change was more a result of eight-term incumbent Hutto retiring than of a Republican upsurge. It had been taken for granted that Hutto would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired, particularly after he was nearly defeated in 1990 and 1992. Republicans had also swept most of the district's overlapping state legislative seats. It is currently considered the most Republican district in Florida, and no Democratic candidate had gotten over 40% of the vote between Hutto's retirement and its 2025 special election. John McCain received 67% of the vote in this district in 2008, and Mitt Romney and Donald Trump respectively carried it by similar margins in 2012 and 2016.

The district's conservatism is not limited to national politics. Since 1994, Republicans have dominated elections at the state and local levels. Graham is the last Democrat to have won it in a statewide race. In much of the district, there are now no elected Democrats above the county level.

The U.S. Air Force also has a large presence in Eglin Air Force Base, which is economically important to the district. Slightly under 14,000 people are employed at the base, which is one of the largest air bases in the world and has approximately of airspace stretching over the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys. Hurlburt Field is an auxiliary field at Eglin AFB and is the location of the Air Force Special Operations Command. Eglin AFB spreads over three counties. Pensacola Naval Air Station was the first Navy base devoted to the specific purpose of aviation, and is the home of the Blue Angels. Saufley Field, used for training, is slightly north of Pensacola NAS.

A large number of veterans who retire relocate to this district. Tourism, particularly in Navarre, Pensacola Beach, and Destin, is a major economic activity.

Recent statewide election results Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 67% - 32%2010 SenateRubio 65% - 13% GovernorScott 68% - 32% Attorney GeneralBondi 68% - 25% Chief Financial OfficerAtwater 68% - 25%2012 PresidentRomney 69% - 31% SenateMack IV 63% - 37%2014 GovernorScott 73% - 27%2016 PresidentTrump 66% - 28% SenateRubio 70% - 26%2018 SenateScott 67% - 32% GovernorDeSantis 67% - 32% Attorney GeneralMoody 69% - 29% Chief Financial OfficerPatronis 69% - 31%2020 PresidentTrump 65% - 33%2022 SenateRubio 72% - 27% GovernorDeSantis 73% - 26% Attorney GeneralMoody 74% - 26% Chief Financial OfficerPatronis 73% - 27%2024 PresidentTrump 68% - 31% SenateScott 69% - 29%

Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST12/CD118_FL01.

Escambia County (13)

All 13 communities

Okaloosa County (14) All 14 communities

Santa Rosa County (33) All 33 communities

Walton County (3) Freeport, Miramar Beach, Paxton

List of members representing the district

Member Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District created March 4, 1875 William J. Purman Republican March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1877 Elected in 1874.Lost re-election. 1875-1883 Robert H. M. Davidson Democratic March 4, 1877 –March 3, 1891 Elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Re-elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Lost re-election. 1883-1893 Stephen R. Mallory Democratic March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1895 Elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Retired. 1893-1903 Stephen M. Sparkman Democratic March 4, 1895 –March 3, 1917 Elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Retired. 1903-1913 1913-1933 Herbert J. Drane Democratic March 4, 1917 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Lost renomination. J. Hardin Peterson Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1951 Elected in 1932.Re-elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Retired. 1933-1943 1943-1953 Chester B. McMullen Democratic January 3, 1951 –January 3, 1953 Elected in 1950.Retired. Courtney W. Campbell Democratic January 3, 1953 –January 3, 1955 Elected in 1952.Lost re-election. 1953-1963 William C. Cramer Republican January 3, 1955 –January 3, 1963 Elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Redistricted to the . Bob Sikes Democratic January 3, 1963 –January 3, 1979 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Retired. 1963-1973 1973-1983 Earl Hutto Democratic January 3, 1979 –January 3, 1995 Elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Retired. 1983-1993 1993-2003 Joe Scarborough Republican January 3, 1995 –September 5, 2001 Elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Resigned. Vacant September 5, 2001 –October 16, 2001 Jeff Miller Republican October 16, 2001 –January 3, 2017 Elected to finish Scarborough's term.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Retired. 2003-2013 2013–2023 Matt Gaetz Republican January 3, 2017 –November 13, 2024 Elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024, but resigned in expectation of nomination as US Attorney General. 2023–present Vacant November 13, 2024 –April 2, 2025 Gaetz withdrew from consideration as Attorney General but declined to be seated. Jimmy Patronis Republican April 2, 2025 –present Elected to finish Gaetz's term.

Recent election results 2001 (special)

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2025 (Special) Main Article: 2025 Florida's 1st congressional district special election

Notes

References

Bibliography

Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present