Florida's 15th congressional district

Florida's 15th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress and is located in the northeastern suburbs of Tampa, including parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties. The district includes Plant City and Zephyrhills, as well as parts of Tampa city proper, Brandon, and Lakeland.

Florida's 15th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
  Laurel Lee
RTampa
Area1,170[1] sq mi (3,000 km2)
Distribution
  • 92.06% urban[2]
  • 7.94% rural
Population (2022)817,831[3]
Median household
income
$67,704[3]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+4[4]

From 2003 to 2013, the prior 15th district contained most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa (including the Kennedy Space Center), all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County. The district took in the cities of Kissimmee, Melbourne, and Vero Beach, as well as Patrick Space Force Base. Boundaries were redrawn due to a lawsuit in 2015.[5] Much of this area is now the 8th district, while the current 15th takes in most of what was previously the 12th district.

From 2013 to 2017, the district included the northern parts of Hillsborough and Polk counties.[6][7] After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, it also included the southernmost parts of Lake County.

The district is currently represented by Republican Laurel Lee.

List of members representing the district edit

Representative Party Years Congress Note
District created January 3, 1973
 
Dante Fascell
(Miami)
Democratic January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1983
93rd
94th
95th
96th
97th
Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Redistricted to the 19th district.
 
Clay Shaw
(Fort Lauderdale)
Republican January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1993
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Redistricted to the 22nd district.
 
Jim Bacchus
(Merritt Island)
Democratic January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 1995
103rd Redistricted from the 11th district and re-elected in 1992.
Retired.
 
Dave Weldon
(Palm Bay)
Republican January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 2009
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
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.
Retired.
 
Bill Posey
(Rockledge)
Republican January 3, 2009 –
January 3, 2013
111th
112th
Elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Redistricted to the 8th district.
 
Dennis Ross
(Lakeland)
Republican January 3, 2013 –
January 3, 2019
113th
114th
115th
Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Retired.
 
Ross Spano
(Riverview)
Republican January 3, 2019 –
January 3, 2021
116th Elected in 2018.
Lost renomination.
 
Scott Franklin
(Lakeland)
Republican January 3, 2021 –
January 3, 2023
117th Elected in 2020.
Redistricted to the 18th district.
 
Laurel Lee
(Tampa)
Republican January 3, 2023 –
present
118th Elected in 2022.

Election results edit

2002 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2002)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dave Weldon* 146,414 63.15
Democratic Jim Tso 85,433 36.85
Total votes 231,847 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2004 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2004)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dave Weldon* 210,388 65.35
Democratic Simon Pristoop 111,538 34.65
Total votes 321,926 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2006 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2006)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dave Weldon* 125,965 56.29
Democratic Robert Bowman 97,834 43.71
Total votes 223,799 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2008 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2008)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Posey 192,151 53.10
Democratic Stephen Lee Blythe 151,951 41.99
Independent Frank Zilaitis 14,274 3.94
Independent Trevor Lowing 3,495 0.97
Total votes 361,871 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2010 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2010)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Posey* 157,079 64.76
Democratic C. Shannon Roberts 85,595 35.27
Total votes 242,674 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2012 edit

Republican candidate Dennis Ross won the election unopposed, as the Democrats did not nominate a candidate.[8] Ross at the time was already the incumbent of the old 12th District prior to the 2010 reapportionment.

2014 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2014)[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dennis Ross 128,750 60.3
Democratic Alan Cohn 84,832 39.7
Total votes 213,582 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2016 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2016)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dennis Ross* 182,999 57.5
Democratic Jim Lange 135,475 42.5
Total votes 318,474 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2018 edit

Florida's 15th Congressional District Election (2018)[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ross Spano 151,380 53.02
Democratic Kristen Carlson 134,132 46.98
Total votes 285,532 100.00
Turnout  
Republican hold

2020 edit

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott Franklin 216,374 55.38%
Democratic Alan Cohn 174,297 44.61%
Total votes 390,671 100.0
Republican hold

2022 edit

2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Laurel Lee 145,219 58.54%
Democratic Alan Cohn 102,835 41.46%
Total votes 248,054 100.0
Republican hold

Historical district boundaries edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Congressional Plan--SC14-1905 (Ordered by The Florida Supreme Court, 2-December-2015)" (PDF). Florida Senate Committee on Reapportionment. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "My Congressional District".
  4. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Klas, Mary Ellen. "Florida Supreme Court approves congressional map drawn by challengers". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  6. ^ See whole Florida state map for 2013, with the 15th district in northern Hillsborough County and Polk County: h9047_35x42L.pdf Congressional Plan: H000C9047. Chapter No. 2012-2, Laws of Florida. www.flsenate.gov. February 16, 2012.
  7. ^ See 2013 borders of 15th district in the 2013 districts map: H000C9047_map_bb.pdf, for the Big Bend region of Florida. Congressional Plan: H000C9047. Chapter No. 2012-2, Laws of Florida. www.flsenate.gov. February 2012.
  8. ^ "Florida's 15th Congressional District elections, 2012". Ballotpedia.
  9. ^ "Florida's 15th Congressional District elections, 2014". Ballotpedia.
  10. ^ "Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2016". Ballotpedia.
  11. ^ "Florida Election Watch - US Representative". floridaelectionwatch.gov.

External links edit