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Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Democratic primary)

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2022
2018
Florida's 15th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 24, 2020
Primary: August 18, 2020
General: November 3, 2020

Pre-election incumbent:
Ross Spano (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Florida
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean Republican
Inside Elections: Lean Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Florida's 15th Congressional District
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Florida elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

Alan Cohn defeated Adam Hattersley, Jesse Philippe and Kel Britvec in the Democratic primary for Florida's 15th Congressional District on August 18, 2020. Cohn received 41% of the vote followed by Hattersley and Philippe with 33% and 26%, respectively.

Cohn, Hattersley, and Philippe led the field in media coverage leading up to the election. Ross Spano (R) was the incumbent. As of August 2020, the district had been rated Lean Republican by independent outlets.

Alan Cohn has spent thirty years working as an investigative journalist.[1] Cohn ran as the Democratic nominee in the 15th District in 2014, but lost to incumbent Rep. Dennis Ross (R) by 43,918 votes. Cohn said his campaign priorities include expanding access to healthcare, addressing climate change, and increasing the minimum wage.[2]

Adam Hattersley is a veteran of the Navy and a business owner. Going into the election, Hattersley was serving his first term as a state representative for the Florida House of Representatives District 59.[2] According to his campaign website, Hattersley said his key issues were addressing climate change, expanding access to healthcare, and providing veterans with resources like education, healthcare, and mental health services.[3]

Jesse Philippe is a veteran of the Marine Corp and a lawyer who has worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families and the State Attorney’s Office of the 13th Judicial Circuit. Philippe said his campaign focuses include investing in infrastructure, expanding access to healthcare, and supporting Social Security.[2]

Kel Britvec is also running in the primary as a write-in candidate.

As of July 29, Hattersley led the field in fundraising with $642,345 and spent $406,547, followed by Cohn who raised $588,919 and spent $459,301, and Philippe who raised $18,647 and spent $18,556.[4] Cohn was endorsed by six unions and La Gaceta, Hattersley was endorsed by VoteVets and Sierra Club, and Philippe was endorsed by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin.[5][6][7]

Alan Cohn, Adam Hattersley, Jesse Philippe, and Kel Brivtec completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to see their responses.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Cohn

Hattersley

Philippe


This page focuses on Florida's 15th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Florida modified its candidate filing procedures as follows:

  • Candidate filing procedures: Candidates allowed to submit qualifying documents, including signed petitions, electronically.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.


Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 15

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Alan Cohn
Alan Cohn Candidate Connection
 
41.0
 
21,079
Image of Adam Hattersley
Adam Hattersley Candidate Connection
 
33.0
 
16,978
Image of Jesse Philippe
Jesse Philippe Candidate Connection
 
26.0
 
13,384
Image of Kel Britvec
Kel Britvec (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
0

Total votes: 51,441
Candidate Connection = 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

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[8] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Image of Alan Cohn

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Alan Cohn is the former anchor / managing editor of ABC 7 News at 7 p.m., which takes an in- depth, investigative look at hot issues of the day. Cohn is the recipient of the 2007 George Foster Peabody Award, one of journalism's highest honors, for uncovering that defective parts were being installed on Black Hawk helicopters built by Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft. For over 30-years, Alan has been speaking truth to power. Whether its taking on corporations making defective equipment for the military, exposing criminals, and corrupt politicians, crusading for consumer rights, and standing up for veterans, Alan Cohn earned the reputation as one of the most respected and investigative reporters in the nation."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Focusing on creating an economy that works for middle class and working families who earn less money than they did 10-years ago. Working on an economy where all Americans can thrive


Taking on political corruption in Washington


Advocating for veterans

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 15 in 2020.

Image of Adam Hattersley

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I'm a Navy and Iraq War veteran with a BSE and MSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. I've also been a gymnast for most of my life. I'm an internationally certified judge, and I've represented the United States in competitions on four continents. I live in Riverview, Florida with my wife, Christie, and our dog, Patton. I've served as a Representative in the Florida statehouse since I was elected in 2018."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Fighting for affordable healthcare. I look forward to working with a democratic house, senate, and president to pass legislation to expand the ACA, form a public option that is free for lower-income Americans, and finally achieve universal coverage.


Addressing the climate crisis. This is one of the greatest existential threats our generation faces. We must take decisive action to put the United States on the path to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2035.


Fighting for a livable wage. A $15/hour minimum wage is the bare minimum needed to support an individual, let alone a family, in today's economy. We must raise the minimum wage, institute automatic cost of living adjustments based on inflation, and fight for all workers to have access to union representation.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 15 in 2020.

Image of Jesse Philippe

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Hi, My name is Jesse Philippe. I graduated from King High School where I played running back. After High School, I joined the Marine Corp. I served for six years and deployed to Iraq. Later, I received a bachelor's degree in Public Policy, and also a Juris doctorate in Law. During the pursuit of my Law degree, I worked in several jobs in the public sector. I also worked for a Telecommunication company for three years. I believe that I should be your candidate because I have more experience and also I have a diverse background; which our growing community needs. I would love to have your vote !!!! visit my site at jessephilippe.com"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


We need to invest in our infrastructure


We need to invest in our education system


We need to invest in our families

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 15 in 2020.

Image of Kel Britvec

FacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I recently retired after 30 years in the US Intelligence community. I'm not looking for a career in politics. I'm a former congressional staffer for both Rep. Howard Wolpe and Sen. Debbie Stabenow. I am not taking campaign contributions. I am term limiting myself to one term only. Money and the seniority system in Congress are distorting our political culture. I have more congressional experience than the first-term incumbent in FL-15. I will be posting videos telling you my opinion on the major topics facing the next Congress. I have never shot my own videos before, so set reasonable expectations for me in that department. If you want to pigeonhole me with a label, try centrist Democrat who is socially liberal, environmentally friendly, and fiscally conservative. Here's my resume: 1992-2019: Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC. Positions held: - Senior Intelligence Officer Joint Analysis Center, RAF Molesworth, UK - Senior DIA Command Representative to JSOC Forward - Bagram, Afghanistan - Chief of the DIA Counterterrorism Warning and Fusion Center - DIA Liaison Officer to the HPSCI - APSA Fellow, Rep Stabenow - Senior DIA Liaison Officer to the British MOD, London Education: Certificate in Management Studies, University of London (Birkbeck) Master of Arts in Slavic and East European Studies, Florida State University Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, Central Michigan University, 1982. 1981 Summer Fellow, Cambridge University, UK "


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


No Camapign Contributions


One term only


I'm a seasoned intelligence professional and former congressional staffer

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 15 in 2020.


Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[9] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[10] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Kel Britvec Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Alan Cohn Democratic Party $2,353,501 $2,320,645 $32,856 As of December 31, 2020
Adam Hattersley Democratic Party $743,210 $742,621 $589 As of December 31, 2020
Jesse Philippe Democratic Party $20,648 $20,648 $0 As of August 18, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. 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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Noteworthy primary endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Cohn Hattersley Philippe
Newspapers and editorials
La Gaceta[11]
Florida Sentinel Bulletin[12]
Elected officials
Representative Stephanie Murphy (D)[13]
Individuals
Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham (D)[14]
Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D-Fla.)[14]
Organizations
314 Action[14]
American Postal Workers Union[15]
Congressional Blue Dog Coalition[16]
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Local 79[17]
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades[18]
International Union of Plumbers & Pipefitters[19]
International Union of Operating Engineers[20]
Sierra Club[21]
United Food & Commercial Workers International Union[22]
VoteVets[23]

Primaries in Florida

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Florida utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[24][25]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

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.[26]
  • 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.[27][28][29]

Race ratings: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 15th Congressional District the 187th most Republican nationally.[30]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.97. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.97 points toward that party.[31]

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Four of 67 Florida counties—6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Jefferson County, Florida 5.06% 1.75% 3.66%
Monroe County, Florida 6.82% 0.44% 4.90%
Pinellas County, Florida 1.11% 5.65% 8.25%
St. Lucie County, Florida 2.40% 7.86% 12.12%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Florida with 49 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 47.8 percent. Florida was considered a key battleground state in the 2016 general election. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Florida voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. Florida went to the Republicans in 2000, 2004, and 2016, and it went to the Democrats in 2008 and 2012.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Florida. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[32][33]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 55 out of 120 state House districts in Florida with an average margin of victory of 29.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 54 out of 120 state House districts in Florida with an average margin of victory of 30.3 points. Clinton won 14 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 65 out of 120 state House districts in Florida with an average margin of victory of 17.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 120 state House districts in Florida with an average margin of victory of 21.1 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


District election history

2018

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 15

Ross Spano defeated Kristen Carlson in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 15 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ross Spano
Ross Spano (R)
 
53.0
 
151,380
Image of Kristen Carlson
Kristen Carlson (D)
 
47.0
 
134,132
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
20

Total votes: 285,532
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = 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 election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 15

Kristen Carlson defeated Andrew Learned and Raymond Pena Jr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 15 on August 28, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kristen Carlson
Kristen Carlson
 
53.4
 
24,498
Image of Andrew Learned
Andrew Learned Candidate Connection
 
31.6
 
14,509
Image of Raymond Pena Jr.
Raymond Pena Jr.
 
15.1
 
6,912

Total votes: 45,919
Candidate Connection = 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

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 15

Ross Spano defeated Neil Combee, Sean Harper, Danny Kushmer, and Ed Shoemaker in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 15 on August 28, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ross Spano
Ross Spano
 
44.1
 
26,904
Image of Neil Combee
Neil Combee
 
33.8
 
20,590
Image of Sean Harper
Sean Harper
 
9.9
 
6,018
Image of Danny Kushmer
Danny Kushmer
 
6.7
 
4,067
Image of Ed Shoemaker
Ed Shoemaker
 
5.5
 
3,379

Total votes: 60,958
Candidate Connection = 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

2016

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Dennis Ross (R) defeated Jim Lange (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in August.[34][35]

U.S. House, Florida District 15 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Ross Incumbent 57.5% 182,999
     Democratic Jim Lange 42.5% 135,475
Total Votes 318,474
Source: Florida Division of Elections

2014

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 15th Congressional District of Florida held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Dennis Ross (R) defeated Alan Cohn (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 15 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Ross Incumbent 60.3% 128,750
     Democratic Alan Cohn 39.7% 84,832
Total Votes 213,582
Source: Florida Division of Elections

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Meet Alan," accessed August 14, 2020
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Ledger, "3 Dems in race to flip US House-15 seat," August 7, 2020
  3. Adam Hattersley 2020 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed August 14, 2020
  4. Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign Finance Data," accessed August 14, 2020
  5. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  6. Adam Hattersely 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  7. Jesse Philippe 2020 campaign website, "Our Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  8. Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  9. Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  10. Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  11. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  12. Jesse Philippe 2020 campaign website, "Our Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  13. Adam Hattersely 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Tampa Bay Times, "Some big time Florida Democrats are taking opposing sides in a critical congressional race," December 11, 2019
  15. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  16. Florida Politics, "Congressional Blue Dog Coalition endorses Adam Hattersley," December 11, 2019
  17. Florida Politics, "Alan Cohn lands endorsement from one of the country’s biggest labor unions," December 3, 2019
  18. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  19. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  20. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  21. Adam Hattersely 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  22. Alan Cohn 2020 campaign website, "Alan's Endorsements Include," accessed August 14, 2020
  23. Adam Hattersely 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 14, 2020
  24. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 23, 2024
  25. Florida Division of Elections, "Closed Primary Election," accessed July 23, 2024
  26. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  27. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  28. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  29. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  30. Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  31. FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  32. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  33. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  34. Florida Department of State, "Candidate Listing for 2016 General Election," accessed June 25, 2016
  35. Politico, " Florida House Races Results," August 30, 2016


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Neal Dunn (R)
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Anna Luna (R)
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