South Florida

Decision 2016: Florida's Congressional Races

Carlos Curbelo holds on to his seat in the hottest and most closely watched race among South Florida's Congressional Districts. 

Rep. Curbelo was locked in a tough battle with Democratic challenger and former Congressman Joe Garcia.

It was a rematch between the two. Curbelo unseated Garcia two years ago.

Curbelo got support of Republican leaders including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Garcia got the endorsement of President Barack Obama. 

District 22

Incumbent Ted Deutch wins re-election in District 22, according to the Associated Press. Rep. Deutch represents a relatively new district after the 2015 redistricting case. Lois Frankel also wins in her new district, according to the AP, which is now primarily Palm Beach County.

District 23

The district covering much of Broward County and parts of Palm Beach County proved to be an easy re-election win for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, according to the AP. The seven term representative – who has been elected twice before from her current district – has been dealing with her own issues during the 2016 election cycle, resigning her position as chairperson of the Democratic National Committee after controversy ensued regarding her alleged efforts to influence the party’s Presidential primary in favor of Hillary Clinton over challenger Bernie Sanders.

Wasserman Schultz was opposed for the second straight election by Republican nominee Joe Kaufman, who lost in 2014 by over 25 percentage points and is making his third overall bid for Congress after having also lost in the 2012 GOP primary.

District 24

For the fourth straight time, Rep. Frederica Wilson will be heading to Washington D.C. as a member of Congress. The Democrat representing the district spanning from Miami to Miramar faced no opponent from the Republican Party in the general election.

District 25

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart holds on to his seat that spans the state from Collier to Miami-Dade County (including most of Hialeah and Miami Lakes).

Diaz-Balart, who at one point was joined by his brother, Lincoln, as a member of the House, will get his eighth term in Congress. While having a voting record not considered as conservative as others in the Florida GOP delegation, Diaz-Balart has faced plenty of criticism from his Democratic challenger, Dr. Alina Valdes.

District 27

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has been elected to a 15th term in office. Her district ranges from Hialeah all the way down to Key Largo. The moderate Republican faced a challenge from Democrat and local businessman Scott Furhman.

Furhman went after the incumbent over Ros-Lehtinen’s opposition to restoring relations with Cuba while Raul Castro is still in power. Meanwhile, Ros-Lehtinen hit her opponent on his lack of political experience and personal issues, including a previous arrest for DUI.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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