Florida's 12th Congressional District election, 2026
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← 2024
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| Florida's 12th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 12, 2026 |
| Primary: August 18, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
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All U.S. House districts, including the 12th Congressional District of Florida, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is August 18, 2026. The filing deadline is June 12, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Florida's 12th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Democratic primary)
- Florida's 12th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on August 18, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Florida District 12
Branden Scrivener is running in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 12 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Branden Scrivener (No Party Affiliation) ![]() | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 12
Christopher Irizarry is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 on August 18, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Christopher Irizarry ![]() | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 on August 18, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Gus M. Bilirakis | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: No Party Affiliation
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "My name is Branden Scrivener, I’m a 27 year old working class father of 2. I have a Bachelors in human services along with four internship experiences at Catholic Charities, Tampa Crossroads, Department of Child Services, and Flagler Education Foundation. I’ve also been working in healthcare for over 3 years. One of the main duties in my role is to secure insurance authorizations for patients. My experience has led me to work with a diverse group of people and shown me firsthand the broken insurance system. I have experience advocating for my community and seeing vulnerable populations first hand. All this experience led me back to the same conclusion; our government policies are the source of many of our issues. For a while, I waited it out, thinking surely when “this” party won things would be different. I’ve watched numerous administrations and party affiliations change, and yet the systems which create our issues seem to rarely change. I’ve decided to stop wishing for someone to change things and be the change I want to see."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Florida
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
| Collapse all
Branden Scrivener (No Affiliation)
The Department of Education should be strengthened not destroyed. I believe in equitable education for all students. No child should have to be placed on a waitlist or pay their way through a quality education. Voucher programs take funding from public schools resulting in the closer of some schools, we’re seeing this within our own district. We should fully fund programs like Title 1 and advocate for our teachers and the safety of our students. We cannot blame the system if we have never given the system its intended funding to begin with. Our education policy needs to be driven by real educators and student experiences. Not by corporate or other special interest groups.
Quality of life for the working class should be our representative’s main driver in policy decisions. I will advocate for a reformed healthcare system in the form of expansions to Medicaid and Medicare, a strengthening of our social security program to ensure quality of life for our seniors, and a focus on driving housing costs down. Our basic needs should be met and protected by our government. Everyone needs access to food, water, and housing. These three things are pillars to success and every citizen deserves these protections.
Branden Scrivener (No Affiliation)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gus M. Bilirakis | Republican Party | $702,464 | $476,078 | $347,803 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Christopher Irizarry | Democratic Party | $5,476 | $4,037 | $1,439 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Branden Scrivener | No Party Affiliation | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: Florida's 12th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 2/10/2026 | 2/3/2026 | 1/27/2026 | 1/20/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Florida in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Florida, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Florida | U.S. House | Ballot-qualified party | 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy | $10,440 | 6/12/2026 | Source |
| Florida | U.S. House | Unaffiliated | 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy | $6,960 | 6/12/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) defeated Rock Aboujaoude Jr. (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 12 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gus M. Bilirakis (R) | 71.0 | 306,487 |
| | Rock Aboujaoude Jr. (D) ![]() | 29.0 | 124,949 | |
| Total votes: 431,436 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 20, 2024, was canceled. Rock Aboujaoude Jr. (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeff Armstrong (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) defeated Harry Dunlap (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gus M. Bilirakis | 84.3 | 59,946 |
| | Harry Dunlap ![]() | 15.7 | 11,182 | |
| Total votes: 71,128 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jack Martin (R)
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) defeated Kimberly Walker (D) and Charles Smith (No Party Affiliation) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 12 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gus M. Bilirakis (R) | 70.4 | 226,601 |
| | Kimberly Walker (D) ![]() | 29.6 | 95,390 | |
| Charles Smith (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | ||
| Total votes: 321,995 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 23, 2022, was canceled. Kimberly Walker (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) defeated Jack Martin (R), Chris Leiser (R), Brian Perras (R), and Sid Preskitt (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gus M. Bilirakis | 79.7 | 67,189 |
| | Jack Martin ![]() | 9.2 | 7,790 | |
| | Chris Leiser ![]() | 4.7 | 4,000 | |
| | Brian Perras | 3.8 | 3,217 | |
| | Sid Preskitt ![]() | 2.5 | 2,142 | |
| Total votes: 84,338 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 12
Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) defeated Kimberly Walker (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 12 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gus M. Bilirakis (R) ![]() | 62.9 | 284,941 |
| | Kimberly Walker (D) ![]() | 37.1 | 168,194 | |
| Total votes: 453,135 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Steven Knezevich (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 18, 2020, was canceled. Kimberly Walker (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Courtney Rettew (D)
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for August 18, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Gus M. Bilirakis (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 12 without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zachary Smith (R)
District analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.
- District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
- Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
- State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

Partisan Voter Index
Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+17. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 17 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 12th the 54th most Republican district nationally.[5]
2020 presidential election results
The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.
| Kamala Harris | Donald Trump |
|---|---|
| 32.0% | 67.0% |
Presidential voting history
- See also: Presidential election in Florida, 2024
Florida presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 17 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Florida's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Florida | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Republican | 2 | 20 | 22 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 28 | 30 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Florida's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
Florida State Senate
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Other | 1 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 40 | |
Florida House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 84 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 3 | |
| Total | 120 | |
Trifecta control
Florida Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
