Here’s part four of the second round of congressional races. Earlier parts are here
Florida has 25 representatives: 16 Republicans and 9 Democrats
Filing deadline is May 2, primary is Aug 26
Of the 22 districts with more than 17% veterans, 12 are in Florida; I think this makes Florida an excellent pickup ground – the veterans, traditionally a very solidly Republican group – are tired of the war and tired of being abused by the powers that be. Remember – Democrats support the troops, Republicans support the war
District: FL-01
Location The westernmost part of the panhandle, bordering AL, the Gulf of Mexico and including Pensacola
Representative Jeff Miller (R)
First elected 2001
2006 margin 69-31
2004 margin 77-22
Bush margin 2004 72-29
Notes on opponents Neither recent opponent raised $50K
Current opponents
Joe Roberts
and
Bryan James (no web site)
Demographics Most veterans of any district (21.7%), and the 13th most Republican district per Cook PVI
Assessment Long shot
District: FL-02
Location The middle of the panhandle, bordering AL, GA and the Gulf of Mexico, and including Tallahassee
Representative Allen Boyd (D)
First elected 1996
2006 margin unopposed
2004 margin 62-38
Bush margin 2004 54-44
Notes on opponents In 2004, Bee Kilmer raised over $1 million, Boyd just over $2 million
Current opponents Mark Flowers and Robert Ortiz; neither has a web site
Demographics 90th poorest district (median income = $35K), 60th most veterans (15.3%)
Assessment Safe (a safe Dem in a swing seat)
District: FL-03
Location The ‘joint’ where the panhandle meets the main part of the state, including (through some gerrmandering) both parts of Jacksonville and Gainesville. This district has been the subject of lots of contoversy – it borders the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 24th. Here:
District %Black %Bush 04
03 49.3 35
04 13.5 69
05 4.5 58
06 11.9 61
07 8.8 57
24 6.3 55
and the borders of the 3rd are pretty tortured.
Representative Corrine Brown (D)
First elected 1992
2006 margin unopposed
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 35-65
Notes on opponents NA
Current opponents None declared
Demographics 21st poorest district (median income = $30K), 41st most Blacks (49.3%)
Assessment Safe. The benefit of a gerrymander is a seat where no opponents run
District: FL-04
Location The eastern part of the panhandle, from Tallahassee suburbs to the Atlantic, bordering GA
Representative Ander Crenshaw (R)
First elected 2000
2006 margin 70-30
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 69-31
Notes on opponents Robert Harms, the 2006 opponent, raised less than $50K
Current opponents :
Robert Harms
and
Jay McGovern
Demographics 30th most veterans (17.1%); 33rd most Republican district
Assessment Long shot
District: FL-05
Location On the Gulf coast, just south of the panhandle
Representative Ginny Brown-Waite (R)
First elected 2002
2006 margin 60-40
2004 margin 66-34
Bush margin 2004 58-41
Notes on opponents John Russell, in 2006, raised less than $100K, Robert Whittel, in 2004, raised about $140K
Current opponents Dave Werder
Demographics 12th most veterans (21.3%)
Assessment In 2004, Russell got outspent 10-1 and still got 40% – that indicates some vulnerability; Brown-Waite also faces a primary challenge. I can’t find much about Werder….his blog is a bit odd.
District: FL-06
Location A boomerang shaped district in the middle of north Florida
Representative Cliff Stearns (R)
First elected 1988
2006 margin 60-40
2004 margin 64-36
Bush margin 2004 61-39
Notes on opponents In 2006, David Bruderly raise $150K to Stearns’ $450K. Bruderly also ran in 2004 and 2002
Current opponents David Bruderly
Demographics 13th most veterans (18.3%)
Assessment Long shot
District: FL-07
Location Atlantic coast of northern FL, from north of St. Augustine to Daytona Beach
Representative John Mica (R)
First elected 1992
2006 margin 63-37
2004 margin Unopposed
Bush margin 2004 57-43
Notes on opponents In 2006, John Chagnon raised only $11K
Current opponents :
Faye Armitage
and
James Clyde Malloy
Both look like progressives; Faye actually saw my diary in the last series, and wrote to me about the demographics, asking questions about hte model I used.
Demographics 15th most veterans (17.6%)
Assessment I think there are possibilities. The district is 9% Black, the Cook PVI is only R+4, and Mica hasn’t faced a serious challenge in 16 years.
District: FL-08
Location More or less the middle of FL, including Orlando
Representative Ric Keller (R)
First elected 2000
2006 margin 53-46
2004 margin 61-39
Bush margin 2004 55-45
Notes on opponents In 2006, Charlie Stuart raised almost $1 million to Keller’s $1.7 million
Current opponents
Charlie Stuart
Alan Grayson
and
Alexander Fry (no site)
Demographics Not unusual on what I track
Assessment Another possible pickup. Stuart nearly did it in 2006, now he has to have better name recognition; and he has another weapon: Keller promised to leave. See this story
District: FL-09
Location A weirdly shaped district (Oh Gerry! Gerry!) it runs along the Gulf Coast, circles around the 10th CD, and continues, plus it runs east into Central FL, then south – it’s shaped sort of like the number 5, or more like a backwards Z rotated 90 degrees.
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R)
First elected 2006
2006 margin 56-44
2004 margin NA (but it was his father who held the seat)
Bush margin 2004 57-43
Notes on opponents Phyllis Busansky, in 2006, raised $1.4 million to Bilirakis’ $2.6 million
Current opponents
Michael van Hoek
Demographics 18th most veterans (17.2%)
Assessment Another possible pickup – the very fact that there are 4 Democrats running is some indication of that.
District: FL-10
Location The Gulf Coast, near Tampa Bay (across the Bay from Tampa, north of St. Pete), but excluding a narrow strip that is FL-09.
Representative Bill Young (R)
First elected 1970
2006 margin 66-34
2004 margin 69-31
Bush margin 2004 51-49
Notes on opponents Neither recent opponent raised $100K; but this district is getting more competitive. In many prior years, Young was unopposed. In 2000, he got 76%. And Young is getting old (born 1940)
Current opponents Samm Simpson , who ran in 2006
Demographics 13th most veterans (18.2%)
Assessment Young is gradually getting vulnerable. If we get some breaks, it’s possible we could win here.
District: FL-11
Location Tampa and St. Petersburg
Representative Kathy Castor
First elected 2006
2006 margin 70-30
2004 margin NA
Bush margin 2004 41-58
Notes on opponents Eddie Adams raised about $30K
Current opponents Eddie Adams and Tim Fasano
Demographics 55th most Blacks (27.4%)
Assessment Probably safe. Although Adams is Black, he did quite poorly last time, and I see no reason for him to do better now
District: FL-12
Location Interior Florida, east of Tampa Bay
Representative Adam Putnam (R)
First elected 2000
2006 margin 70-20 (against two people with no party)
2004 margin 65-35
Bush margin 2004 58-42
Notes on opponents None of the recent opponents had money
Current opponents Doug Tudor
Demographics 23rd most veterans (17%)
Assessment Long shot
District: FL-13
Location Gulf coast, from Bradenton to Englewood, interior to Arcadia
Representative Vern Buchanan (R)
First elected 2006
2006 margin 369 votes out of 237,000
2004 margin NA
Bush margin 2004 56-43
Notes on opponents Perhaps the most expensive race in 2006 (I haven’t compiled the numbers). Buchanan spent $8 million and his opponent, Christine Jennings, spent $3 million. Katherine Harris’ former seat.
Current opponents:
Chris Jennings
and
Mike LaFevers (apparently, although his site is down)
Demographics 9th most veterans (19.2%)
Assessment Buchanan is vulnerable, and this year, he may lose (de jure as well as de facto)
District: FL-14
Location Gulf coast, including Naples and Ft. Myers
Representative Connie Mack (R)
First elected 2004
2006 margin 64-36
2004 margin 68-32
Bush margin 2004 62-38
Notes on opponents Neeld, who ran both in 2004 and 2006, got less than $50K each time
Current opponents :
Larry Byrnes
and
Robert Neeld
and a Republican
Demographics 6th most veterans (19.8%)
Assessment Neeld has failed twice, I know nothing about Byrnes, but it seems like a long shot
District: FL-15
Location Atlantic coast, from Cocoa to Vero Beach
Representative Dave Weldon (R) retiring
First elected 1994
2006 margin 56-44
2004 margin 65-35
Bush margin 2004 57-43
Notes on opponents Bob Bowman, in 2006, raised about $100K to Buchanan’s $900K
Current opponents
Bob Bowman (who appears a bit….errrr….odd; for one thing, he’s a 9/11 conspiracy guy) (according to this comment he is not running)
and
Steve Blythe
Demographics 8th most veterans (19.4%)
Assessment This is a Republican district, but this is a Democratic year. With an open seat….And no Republicans have declared yet… who knows?
District: FL-16
Location An oddly shaped district, it goes from the Gulf to the Atlantic; it’s narrow at the Gulf (just about Port Charlotte and nothing else), widens in the middle of the state, swings around Lake Okeechobee, then narrows, then widens again at the Atlantic running from Ft. Pierce to Jupiter, then jogging inland to Wellington
Representative Tim Mahoney (D)
First elected 2006
2006 margin 50-48
2004 margin NA
Bush margin 2004 54-46
Notes on opponents Negron, in 2006, raised $800K to succeed Mark Foley
Current opponents At least three
Demographics 11th most veterans (18.9%)
Assessment Vulnerable
District: FL-17
Location Just off the Atlantic (by a mile or so) including North Miami Beach, North Miami, and Hollywood
Representative Kendrick Meek (D)
First elected 2002
2006 margin unopposed
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 17-83
Notes on opponents NA
Current opponents None declared
Demographics 20th most Blacks (55.2%) and very few veterans (7.2%). 29th poorest district (median income = $30K). The most Democratic district in the South
Assessment Safe
District: FL-18
Location Miami and a narrow strip along the Atlantic north and south of there
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)
First elected 1989
2006 margin 62-38
2004 margin 65-35
Bush margin 2004 54-46
Notes on opponents Neither recent opp raised $100K
Current opponents Annette Tadeo
Demographics 16th most Latinos (62.7%)
Assessment Vulnerable. Taddeo should give Ros-Lehtinen a run for her money.
District: FL-19
Location Slightly off the Atlantic from near West Palm Beach to near Pompano Beach
Representative Robert Wexler (D)
First elected 1996
2006 margin unopposed
2004 margin unoppposed
Bush margin 2004 34-66
Notes on opponents NA
Current opponents Only a primary
Demographics 28th most veterans (16.6%)
Assessment Safe
District: FL-20
Location Another weirdly shaped district. What is it shaped like? Well, part of it is like a number 7, with the top running from the Atlantic west to Weston, and the bottom on the Atlantic. Then, atop the 7, it goes back east to the Atlantic again then north a little… ohh… go look at the wiki.
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D)
First elected 2004 (D)
2006 margin unoppsed
2004 margin 70-30
Bush margin 2004 36-64
Notes on opponents No money
Current opponents None declared
Demographics Not unusual on what I track, but one of the highest concentrations of Jews of any district.
Assessment Safe
District: FL-21
Location This one is shaped like a ?. Folks, to appreciate southern FL districting, you really have to look at a map. Gerry would be proud of these guys, but the Republicans may have overdone it, as they now have several vulnerable seats.
Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R)
First elected 1992
2006 margin 59-41
2004 margin 73-27 (against a Libertarian)
Bush margin 2004 57-43
Notes on opponents No money
Current opponents :
Raul Martinez (obviously not a finished web site)
and
Richard Allbriton
Demographics 8th most Latinos (69.7%)
Assessment Vulnerable. From all accounts, Martinez makes this one highly competitive
District: FL-22
Location One of the strangest shaped districts in the country. Go look. It’s south Florida along the Atlantic….more or less.
Representative Ron Klein (D)
First elected 2006
2006 margin 51-47
2004 margin NA
Bush margin 2004 48-52
Notes on opponents Klein ousted Clay Shaw; Klein raised $4 million, Shaw $5 million
Current opponents Allen West
Demographics Not unusual on what I track
Assessment West does not appear to be a serious threat, but others might be
District: FL-23
Location The eastern and southern coasts of Lake Okeechobee
Representative Alcee Hastings (D)
First elected 1992
2006 margin unopposed
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 24-76
Notes on opponents NA
Current opponents Marion Thorpe
Demographics 43rd fewest Whites (29.4%), 23rd most Blacks (51.2%), 41st poorest (median income = $31K)
Assessment Safe
District: FL-24
Location Atlantic coast, towards the north.
Representative Tom Feeney (R)
First elected 2002
2006 margin 58-42
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 55-45
Notes on opponents no money
Current opponents :
Suzanne Kosmas
Clint Curtis (who ran in 2006)
and
Garv Bhola
Demographics 21st most veterans (17.1%)
Assessment I had thought this a long shot, but see comments (on dailyKos): Kosmas has apparently raised more money than Feeney, and Feeney is tied to some scandals
District: FL-25
Location Southern end of Florida
Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R)
First elected 2002
2006 margin 58-42
2004 margin unopposed
Bush margin 2004 56-44
Notes on opponents no money
Current opponents Joe Garcia
Demographics 17th most Latinos (62.4%), 16th fewest veterans (6%)
Assessment Vulnerable
Summary: I see only one vulnerable Democrat (Mahoney) and as many as 8 at least somewhat vulnerable Republicans
aren’t you missing Alan Grayson in FL-8? seems like a particularly feisty dude, i’ve had an eye on him due to his record litigating against war profiteering contractors…