# Florida's 17th congressional district

Florida's 17th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress, located in Southwest Florida. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was shrunk to only include the coastal counties of Sarasota and Charlotte as well as northeastern Lee County, including most of Lehigh Acres. Other inland counties which were previously in the district were instead redistricted into the new 18th district.
The 17th district was created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census. From 2003 to 2013 it was located in South Florida, and was a majority African American district. It included the southern parts of Broward County and the eastern parts of Miami-Dade County. Included within the district were Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, and North Miami. Most of this district is now the 24th district.
After the 2010 census and its corresponding redistricting cycle, the district included portions of the previous 12th and 16th districts. Most of the district's territory came from the western portion of the old 16th. After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, the district included a large area of central Florida from eastern Tampa Bay to the western shores of Lake Okeechobee, including all of Charlotte County, DeSoto County, Glades County, Hardee County, Highlands County and Okeechobee County, plus parts of Lee County, Polk County and Sarasota County. Major cities in the district included North Port, Punta Gorda, Venice, Wauchula, Arcadia, and Okeechobee.
Republican Tom Rooney, incumbent congressman of the previous 16th district, ran for reelection in the 17th in 2012 and won. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2016, but did not run for re-election in 2018. Greg Steube was elected on November 6.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 51% - 48% |
| 2010 | Senate | Rubio 48% - 12% |
| 2010 | Governor | Scott 54% - 46% |
| 2010 | Attorney General | Bondi 57% - 35% |
| 2010 | Chief Financial Officer | Atwater 60% - 31% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 55% - 45% |
| 2012 | Senate | Nelson 51% - 49% |
| 2014 | Governor | Scott 54% - 46% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 56% - 40% |
| 2016 | Senate | Rubio 58% - 38% |
| 2018 | Senate | Scott 56% - 43% |
| 2018 | Governor | DeSantis 56% - 42% |
| 2018 | Attorney General | Moody 59% - 39% |
| 2018 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 59% - 41% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 58% - 42% |
| 2022 | Senate | Rubio 63% - 36% |
| 2022 | Governor | DeSantis 64% - 35% |
| 2022 | Attorney General | Moody 66% - 34% |
| 2022 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 65% - 35% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 61% - 38% |
| 2024 | Senate | Scott 62% - 37% |

## 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:
Charlotte County (10)
    All 10 communities
Lee County (10)
    Alva, Charleston Park, Buckingham, Fort Myers Shores, Lehigh Acres (part; also 19th), North Fort Myers (part; also 19th), Olga, Palmona Park, Suncoast Estates, Tice, Verandah
Sarasota County (31)
    All 31 communities

## List of members representing the district

| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | Congressional map |
| District created January 3, 1983 ||||||
| William Lehman (Biscayne Park) | Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd | Redistricted from the 13th district and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 1990. Retired. | 1983–1993 [data missing] |
| Carrie Meek (Miami) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired. | 1993–2003 [data missing] |
| Kendrick Meek (Miami) | Democratic | January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2011 | 108th 109th 110th 111th | Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | 2003–2013 |
| Frederica Wilson (Miami Gardens) | Democratic | January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 | 112th | Elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 24th district. | 2003–2013 |
| Tom Rooney (Okeechobee) | Republican | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 | 113th 114th 115th | Redistricted from the 16th district and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired. | 2013–2017 |
| Tom Rooney (Okeechobee) | Republican | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 | 113th 114th 115th | Redistricted from the 16th district and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired. | 2017–2023 |
| Greg Steube (Sarasota) | Republican | January 3, 2019 – present | 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2017–2023 |
| Greg Steube (Sarasota) | Republican | January 3, 2019 – present | 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2023–present |

## Election results
### 2002

Florida's 17th Congressional District Election (2002) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kendrick Meek | 113,749 | 99.94% |
| | No party | Others | 73 | 0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 113,822 | 100.00% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2004

Florida's 17th Congressional District Election (2004) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kendrick Meek (Incumbent) | 178,690 | 99.59% |
| | No party | Others | 734 | 0.41% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 179,424 | 100.00% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

Florida's 17th Congressional District Election (2006) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kendrick Meek (Incumbent) | 90,663 | 99.97% |
| | No party | Others | 23 | 0.03% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 90,686 | 100.00% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2008

Florida's 17th Congressional District Election (2008) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kendrick Meek (Incumbent) | | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100.00% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2010

Florida's 17th Congressional District Election (2010) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Frederica S. Wilson | 106,361 | 86.21% |
| | Independent | Roderick Vereen | 17,009 | 13.79% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123,370 | 100.00% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Rooney (incumbent) | 165,488 | 58.6 |
| | Democratic | William Bronson | 116,766 | 41.4 |
| | Independent | Tom Baumann (write-in) | 12 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 282,266 | 100.0 |
| | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) |

### 2014

2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Rooney (incumbent) | 141,493 | 63.2 |
| | Democratic | Will Bronson | 82,263 | 36.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 223,756 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Rooney (incumbent) | 209,348 | 61.8 |
| | Democratic | April Freeman | 115,974 | 34.2 |
| | Independent | John W Sawyer III | 13,353 | 4.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 338,675 | 100.0 |

### 2018

2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Greg Steube | 193,326 | 62.3 |
| | Democratic | Allen Ellison | 117,194 | 37.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 310,520 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Greg Steube (incumbent) | 266,514 | 64.6% |
| | Democratic | Allen Ellison | 140,487 | 34.1% |
| | Independent | Theodore "Pink Tie" Murray | 5,396 | 1.3% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 412,397 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2022

2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Greg Steube (incumbent) | 222,601 | 63.8% |
| | Democratic | Andrea Kale | 123,822 | 35.5% |
| | Independent | Theodore Murray | 2,226 | 0.64% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 348,649 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |