# Florida's 16th congressional district

Florida's 16th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress which encompasses eastern Hillsborough County and the entirety of Manatee County. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was drawn out of Sarasota and Sarasota County to include more of Tampa's eastern suburbs, including Riverview and parts of Brandon south of Florida State Road 60.
The district is currently represented by Republican Vern Buchanan.
The 16th district was created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census.
When the Florida legislature redistricted in 2002 after the 2000 U.S. census, a federal court described the boundaries of the 16th congressional district and the interlocking 23rd congressional district as an example of gerrymandering and a "raw exercise of majority legislative power".
From 2013 to 2017, the district includes Sarasota County and most of Manatee County. After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, the district was moved northwards to include southern Hillsborough County, while southern Sarasota County was moved into the 17th district.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 53% - 46% |
| 2010 | Senate | Rubio 50% - 14% |
| 2010 | Governor | Scott 56% - 44% |
| 2010 | Attorney General | Bondi 61% - 34% |
| 2010 | Chief Financial Officer | Atwater 61% - 31% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 55% - 45% |
| 2012 | Senate | Nelson 52% - 48% |
| 2014 | Governor | Scott 55% - 45% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 54% - 41% |
| 2016 | Senate | Rubio 56% - 39% |
| 2018 | Senate | Scott 55% - 45% |
| 2018 | Governor | DeSantis 54% - 44% |
| 2018 | Attorney General | Moody 58% - 40% |
| 2018 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 57% - 43% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 54% - 45% |
| 2022 | Senate | Rubio 60% - 39% |
| 2022 | Governor | DeSantis 61% - 38% |
| 2022 | Attorney General | Moody 63% - 37% |
| 2022 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 62% - 38% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 57% - 42% |
| 2024 | Senate | Scott 57% - 42% |

## 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:
Hillsborough County (14)
    Apollo Beach (part; also 14th), Balm, Bloomingdale, Brandon (part; also 15th), Fish Hawk, Gibsonton (part; also 14th), Riverview, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Valrico (part; also 15th), Wimauma
Manatee County (16)
    All 16 communities

## List of members representing the district

| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District created January 3, 1983 |||||
| Lawrence Smith (Hollywood) | Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd | Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired. |
| Tom Lewis (Palm Beach Gardens) | Republican | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | 103rd | Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 1992. Retired. |
| Mark Foley (Jupiter) | Republican | January 3, 1995 – September 29, 2006 | 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th | Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Resigned. |
| Vacant | Vacant | September 29, 2006 – January 3, 2007 | 109th | |
| Tim Mahoney (Venus) | Democratic | January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009 | 110th | Elected in 2006. Lost re-election. |
| Tom Rooney (Tequesta) | Republican | January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013 | 111th 112th | Elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 17th district. |
| Vern Buchanan (Sarasota) | Republican | January 3, 2013 – present | 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Redistricted from the 13th district and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. |

## Election results
### 2002

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2002) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark Foley* | 176,171 | 78.88 |
| | Constitution | Jack McLain | 47,169 | 21.12 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 223,340 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2004

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2004) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark Foley* | 215,563 | 68.04 |
| | Democratic | Jeff Fisher | 101,247 | 31.96 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 316,810 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2006) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tim Mahoney | 115,832 | 49.55 |
| | Republican | Mark Foley* (Joe Negron) | 111,415 | 47.66 |
| | Independent | Emmie Lee Ross | 6,526 | 2.79 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 223,799 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |
* The seat became vacant after Foley's sudden resignation on September 29, 2006, after it became public that he had sent inappropriate emails to male teenage former congressional pages. Foley's resignation occurred too late under Florida law to take his name off the ballot. Therefore, Foley's name remained on the ballot, but votes cast for him went to his replacement, State Representative Joe Negron, who would have been duly elected had Foley won the November 7, 2006 election. Since Mahoney won the election, the question did not arise.

### 2008

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2008) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Rooney | 209,847 | 60.10 |
| | Democratic | Tim Mahoney* | 139,329 | 39.90 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 349,176 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
* Incumbent Tim Mahoney ran for reelection in 2008. His opponent was Tom Rooney, a former JAG officer, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and professor at the United States Military Academy. Rooney is also the grandson of the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Mahoney was initially favored, after the scandal involving his mistress, the race shifted toward "likely Republican" on the Cook Political Report.

### 2010

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2010) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Rooney* | 162,285 | 66.85 |
| | Democratic | Jim Horn | 80,327 | 33.09 |
| | No party | Others | 151 | 0.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 242,763 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2012

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vern Buchanan* | 187,147 | 53.6 |
| | Democratic | Keith Fitzgerald | 161,929 | 46.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 349,076 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vern Buchanan* | 168,990 | 61.6 |
| | Democratic | Henry Lawrence | 105,357 | 38.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 274,347 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2016) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vern Buchanan* | 230,654 | 59.8 |
| | Democratic | Jan Schneider | 155,262 | 40.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 385,916 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Vern Buchanan* | 197,483 | 54.56% | 5.21% |
| | Democratic | David Shapiro | 164,463 | 45.44% | 5.21% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 361,946 | 100.00% | 6.21% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33,020 | 9.12% | 10.4% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vern Buchanan (incumbent) | 269,001 | 55.50% |
| | Democratic | Margaret Good | 215,683 | 44.50% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 484,684 | 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 | Vern Buchanan (incumbent) | 189,762 | 62.15% |
| | Democratic | Jan Schneider | 115,575 | 37.85% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 305,337 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Historical district boundaries

* 2003–2013
* 2013–2017
* 2017–2023
The former 16th district in 2003–2012 stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Coast and included parts of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. Included within the district were Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie, and Palm Beach.