# Florida's 3rd congressional district

Florida's 3rd congressional district is an electoral district of the United States House of Representatives located in Florida. It presently comprises a large section of north central Florida, including the entire counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Suwannee, and Union, along with the majority of Lafayette and Marion County. The city of Gainesville is in the district as well as part of Ocala (its northern suburbs), and portions of the Jacksonville metropolitan area.
Redistricting in Florida, effective for the 2012 federal elections, radically altered the nature of the 3rd district. From 1993 through 2012 the district called the 3rd district comprised an entirely different territory, roughly similar to the 5th district as of 2013. Likewise the present territory of the new 3rd district, as of the 2012 elections, is made up of parts of the former 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th districts, though it is geographically similar to the pre-2013 6th district. The former 3rd district was an intentionally gerrymandered territory designed to unite disparate areas of northeastern Florida with significant African-American populations into a black-majority district, and was overwhelmingly Democratic in voting patterns.
The new 3rd district has a majority white population, largely in rural areas and small towns. The only cities of any size in the district are Gainesville and Ocala. The district has been represented by Republican Kat Cammack since 2021.
While Florida has had at least three congressional districts since the 1900 U.S. census, the 1993–2012 3rd congressional district dates to reapportionment done by the Florida Legislature after the 1990 U.S. census. Because Florida has a large population of African Americans, but not a large enough concentration anywhere in the state to easily configure a congressional district with a majority, there were several attempts to create a few gerrymandered districts which were certain to elect an African American candidate. This created an odd coalition of black Democrats and Republicans who supported such districts (since this not only created black-majority districts, but also made "safer" Republican districts elsewhere). This effort was opposed by many white Democrats, but eventually, this idea won the support of the state legislature and this district was created as a result.
The 1993–2012 3rd congressional district was geographically diverse. Starting from the southern part of the district, it included the Pine Hills area of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Area with small pockets of African-American neighborhoods in the cities of Sanford, Gainesville, Palatka, and finally the larger African American communities of Jacksonville. Connecting these areas were regions that are sparsely populated—either expansive rural areas or narrow strips which are only a few miles wide. Barack Obama received 73% of the vote in this district in the 2008 Presidential election. The old 3rd district was represented from 1993 through 2012 by Corrine Brown, who was elected to the similar new 5th district in the November 2012 elections.

## Voting
### Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 53% - 46% |
| 2010 | Senate | Rubio 52% - 21% |
| 2010 | Governor | Scott 52% - 48% |
| 2010 | Attorney General | Bondi 54% - 38% |
| 2010 | Chief Financial Officer | Atwater 54% - 36% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 56% - 44% |
| 2012 | Senate | Nelson 53% - 47% |
| 2014 | Governor | Scott 55% - 45% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 55% - 41% |
| 2016 | Senate | Rubio 57% - 39% |
| 2018 | Senate | Scott 54% - 45% |
| 2018 | Governor | DeSantis 55% - 43% |
| 2018 | Attorney General | Moody 58% - 41% |
| 2018 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 57% - 43% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 57% - 42% |
| 2022 | Senate | Rubio 62% - 37% |
| 2022 | Governor | DeSantis 64% - 35% |
| 2022 | Attorney General | Moody 65% - 35% |
| 2022 | Chief Financial Officer | Patronis 64% - 36% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 60% - 39% |
| 2024 | Senate | Scott 60% - 38% |

### Voter registration

* Republican (214,307) (45.78%)
* Democratic (154,334) (32.97%)
* No Party Affiliation (88,703) (18.95%)

## 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:
Alachua County (9)
    All 9 communities
Baker County (2)
    Macclenny, Glen St. Mary
Bradford County (4)
    All 4 communities
Columbia County (4)
    All 4 communities
Dixie County (3)
    All 3 communities
Gilchrist County (4)
    All 4 communities
Hamilton County (3)
    All 3 communities
Lafayette County (2)
    Day (part; also 2nd), Mayo
Levy County (16)
    All 16 communities
Marion County (11)
    Dunnellon, McIntosh, Ocala, Ocala Estates, On Top of the World, Rainbow Lakes Estates (shared with Levy County), Liberty Triangle, Marion Oaks, Rainbow Park, Rainbow Springs, Reddick
Suwanne County (2)
    Branford, Live Oak
Union County (3)
    All 3 communities

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District created March 4, 1903 |||||
| William B. Lamar (Monticello) | Democratic | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909 | 58th 59th 60th | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Dannite H. Mays (Monticello) | Democratic | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1913 | 61st 62nd | Elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Lost renomination. |
| Emmett Wilson (Pensacola) | Democratic | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917 | 63rd 64th | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Lost renomination. |
| Walter Kehoe (Pensacola) | Democratic | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1919 | 65th | Elected in 1916. Lost renomination. |
| John H. Smithwick (Pensacola) | Democratic | March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1927 | 66th 67th 68th 69th | Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Lost renomination. |
| Tom Yon (Tallahassee) | Democratic | March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933 | 70th 71st 72nd | Elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost renomination. |
| Millard Caldwell (Milton) | Democratic | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941 | 73rd 74th 75th 76th | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Bob Sikes (Crestview) | Democratic | January 3, 1941 – October 19, 1944 | 77th 78th | Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Resigned to enter the U.S. Army. |
| Vacant | Vacant | October 19, 1944 – January 3, 1945 | 78th | |
| Bob Sikes (Crestview) | Democratic | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1963 | 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th | Re-elected in November 1944 when the President ordered all legislators on active military duty to return to Washington. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the 1st district. |
| Claude Pepper (Miami) | Democratic | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1967 | 88th 89th | Elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Redistricted to the 11th district. |
| Charles E. Bennett (Jacksonville) | Democratic | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1993 | 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd | Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-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. Redistricted to the 4th district and retired. |
| Corrine Brown (Jacksonville) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013 | 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 5th district. |
| Ted Yoho (Gainesville) | Republican | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021 | 113th 114th 115th 116th | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired. |
| Kat Cammack (Gainesville) | Republican | January 3, 2021 – present | 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. |

## Recent election results
### 2002

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2002) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Corrine Brown (Incumbent) | 88,462 | 59.29 |
| | Republican | Jennifer Carroll | 60,747 | 40.71 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 149,209 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2004

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2004) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Corrine Brown (Incumbent) | 172,833 | 99.24 |
| | No party | Others | 1,323 | 0.76 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 174,156 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2006) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Corrine Brown (Incumbent) | | 100.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2008

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2008) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Corrine Brown (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 3rd Congressional District Election (2010) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Corrine Brown (Incumbent) | 94,744 | 63.04 |
| | Republican | Mike Yost | 50,932 | 33.89 |
| | Independent | Terry Martin-Back | 4,625 | 3.08 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 150,301 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Yoho | 204,331 | 64.7 |
| | Democratic | Jacques Rene Gaillot Jr. | 102,468 | 32.5 |
| | Independent | Philip Dodds | 8,870 | 2.8 |
| | Independent | Michael Ricks | 0 | 0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 315,669 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 2014

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Yoho (Incumbent) | 148,691 | 65.0 |
| | Democratic | Marihelen Wheeler | 73,910 | 32.3 |
| | Independent | Howard Lawson | 6,208 | 2.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 228,809 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2016) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Yoho (Incumbent) | 193,843 | 56.6 |
| | Democratic | Kenneth McGurn | 136,338 | 39.8 |
| | Independent | Tom Wells | 12,519 | 3.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 342,700 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Yoho (Incumbent) | 176,616 | 57.6 |
| | Democratic | Yvonne Hayes Hinson | 129,880 | 42.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 306,496 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kat Cammack | 223,075 | 57.14% |
| | Democratic | Adam Christensen | 167,326 | 42.86% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 390,401 | 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 | Kat Cammack (Incumbent) | 178,101 | 62.5% |
| | Democratic | Danielle Hawk | 103,382 | 36.3% |
| | No party | Linda Brooks | 3,410 | 1.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 284,893 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Historical district boundaries

* 2003–2013
* 2013–2017
* 2017–2023