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Florida's 17th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Democratic primary)

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Florida's 17th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 26, 2024
Primary: August 20, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Florida
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican
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, 2024
See also
Florida's 17th Congressional District
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Florida elections, 2024
U.S. Congress elections, 2024
U.S. Senate elections, 2024
U.S. House elections, 2024

A Democratic Party primary took place on August 20, 2024, in Florida's 17th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Manny Lopez advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 17.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies.[1] As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 63.8%-35.5%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 57.6%-41.6%.[2]

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
April 26, 2024
August 20, 2024
November 5, 2024


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.[3][4]

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

This page focuses on Florida's 17th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 17

Manny Lopez defeated Matthew Montavon in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 17 on August 20, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Manny Lopez
Manny Lopez Candidate Connection
 
52.9
 
25,017
Image of Matthew Montavon
Matthew Montavon Candidate Connection
 
47.1
 
22,244

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 47,261
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 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.

Manny Lopez

Image of Manny Lopez

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Manny Lopez a 3rd generation Key West Floridian. Common Sense Governance with Civility, Principles, and Accountability is my theme. Worked as a First Responder, Educator, Veteran and in Government. Caring, Moderate, Proactive, Compassionate, Strong, Reasonable, Principled, Passionate, and Fighter. Elected School Board Member, Monroe County Port Authority Board, Executive Board Central Texas Economic Development Council, Hill County Extension Service Chairman, organized and chaired countywide issues convention overseeing 21 task forces, President of the Young Democrats, President of PHI THETA KAPPA honor society and graduated Baylor University. Experienced in dealing with governments, bureaucracy, agencies, and organizations to make government work for the people. Decades activist for Equal Rights Amendment, Women’s rights, Civil Rights, Gay Rights, Desegregation, Anti-Vietnam War, Legalizing Marijuana, Welfare Reforms, Gun Safety, Anti Corporate Greed, and Immigration Reform. 7 years captain with the Sarasota & Venice Chalk Festivals, worked relief on many Hurricanes . Worked in food banks, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, migrant worker reform, citizen school committees and others. A Scoutmaster, tutor, Big Brother, Youth Coach for baseball, football, and basketball, Organized a countywide co-ed youth basketball league winning the Kiwanian of the Year Award, and school sponsor of the Environmental Club winning the Sarasota Bay Estuary Blue Dolphin Award."

Key Messages

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

It is imperative that congress Codify Reproductive Rights for abortion, birth control, and reproduction such as IVF. Reproductive Rights decision should be made by the woman, her doctor, & her Family. Government has no right to dictate the health care of anyone. Reproductive Rights is Health Care.

The Environment & Climate Change affects our Health, Economy, and Nature. We need to focus on Renewable Energy; solar, wind, biomass, hydro power. As the Sunshine State; we should strive to be the national leader in Solar Energy. Preserving and protecting our fresh water sources and estuaries is vital to Our Earths' survival. We need to make Red Tide prevention the priority to replace the need for clean ups. Fight pollution. Reduce Carbon & Methane Emissions. Carbon pricing such as carbon taxes will help reduce pollution. Support carbon capture programs. Develop energy storage technology. Convert emission lines to advanced conductor lines. Energy efficient appliances and lighting. Support fusion technology development.

We need to eliminate the Social Security earning cap of $168,000 when people stop paying the Social Security tax. Conservative and liberal think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, say this can increase Social Security benefits and expand solvency. We also should stop paying taxes on Social Security. Corporate greed is the deterrent. Everyone below the $168,000 cap pays 6.2% while a millionaire pays less than 1% on their earnings. The more one makes the less percent they pay on their earnings. Why should the wealthy pay less at the cost of the working and middle class? Eliminating the Earnings Cap will increase benefits and solvency for 35 - 75 years, depending on the benefit increases, according to the studies

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 17 in 2024.

Matthew Montavon

Image of Matthew Montavon

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Matt was born in South Bend, Indiana, into a family of nine children. Beginning in high school and throughout college, he worked odd jobs to help support himself. Matt received a bachelor's degree in political science and Spanish from The Catholic University of America, graduating with honors. He received a master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Matt served two years in Central America as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in a rural area on an agriculture and grain storage program. He then worked with the Illinois Migrant Council out of Carbondale, Illinois serving migrant farm-workers and rural disadvantaged people. Matt worked for a number of years in urban and regional planning and finance for local, regional, and national organizations in West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Matt produced several publications which supported the improvement and efficiency of government. Matt had a distinguished career with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) based in Rome, Italy, retiring following 27 years of service. At FAO, Matt's work supported a wide variety of programs to fight hunger and improve food and agricultural systems around the world. Matthew and Marjorie E. were married in 1991 and had two children. Marjie passed away from cancer in 2019. "

Key Messages

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

Throughout the years Matt has been a faithful Democrat, contributing to and volunteering for various campaigns even before he was old enough to vote. While working in Italy, he promoted voting among the American community, and for several years, he served as the chairperson for the Rome Chapter of the Democrats Abroad, the overseas arm of the Democratic Party. He currently serves as the President of the Sarasota Democratic Hispanic Caucus.

Matt has always been involved in community activities such as volunteering for food pantries, Habitat for Humanity, and Operation BBQ Relief in Ft. Myers following Hurricane Ian. He was also a Boy Scout Leader, an Officer in the Federation of International Civil Servants' Associations, and the President of the FAO Credit Union. He currently serves as a volunteer co-coordinator of the AARP Tax-Aide program. He received an award in 2023 for outstanding service to the program.

Through Matt's work and volunteering, he has demonstrated his lifelong commitment to improving our communities. Matt has a deep understanding of and empathy for people. Matt's experiences through public and international service have given him the skills to address the pressing issues facing our district and country.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Florida District 17 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Florida

Election information in Florida: Aug. 20, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: July 22, 2024
  • By mail: Received by July 22, 2024
  • Online: July 22, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 8, 2024
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 8, 2024
  • Online: Aug. 8, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 20, 2024
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 20, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Aug. 10, 2024 to Aug. 17, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (EST)


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Manny Lopez Democratic Party $69,448 $69,448 $0 As of December 31, 2024
Matthew Montavon Democratic Party $69,457 $69,136 $0 As of September 30, 2024

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. 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.

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 2024 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 was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_fl_congressional_district_017.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Florida.

Florida U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office Districts/
offices 		Seats Open seats Candidates Possible primaries Contested Democratic primaries Contested Republican primaries % of contested primaries Incumbents in contested primaries % of incumbents in contested primaries
2024 28 28 1 101 56 9 21 53.6% 15 55.6%
2022 28 28 6 151 56 14 24 67.9% 17 73.9%
2020 27 27 2 114 54 10 19 53.7% 10 40.0%
2018 27 27 4 104 54 19 12 57.4% 11 47.8%
2016 27 27 7 100 54 11 13 44.4% 9 47.4%
2014 27 27 0 75 54 5 10 27.8% 8 29.6%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Florida in 2024. Information below was calculated on May 7, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

One hundred three candidates ran for Florida’s 28 U.S. House districts, including 42 Democrats and 61 Republicans. That’s 3.68 candidates per district, less than in the previous three election cycles. There were 5.43 candidates per district in 2022, 4.22 candidates per district in 2020, and 3.86 in 2018.

The 8th Congressional District was the only open district, meaning no incumbents filed to run. That’s the fewest open seats in Florida since 2014 when no seats were open. Incumbent Rep. Bill Posey (R-8th) did not run for re-election because he is retired from public office.

Seven candidates—incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-23rd) and six Republicans—ran for the 23rd Congressional District, the most candidates who ran for a seat in 2024.

Thirty primaries—nine Democratic and 21 Republican—were contested in 2024. Thirty-eight primaries were contested in 2022, 29 primaries were contested in 2020, and 31 primaries were contested in 2018.

Fifteen incumbents—two Democrats and 13 Republicans—were in contested primaries in Florida in 2024. That’s less than the 17 incumbents in contested primaries in 2022 but more than the 10 incumbents in contested primaries in 2020.

The 20th Congressional District is guaranteed to Democrats because no Republicans will appear on the ballot. Democrats filed to run in every congressional district, meaning none are guaranteed to Republicans.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+10. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 17th the 143rd most Republican district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Florida's 17th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
41.6% 57.6%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[6] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline Democratic Party Republican Baseline Republican Party Difference
38.5 60.3 R+21.7

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Florida, 2020

Florida presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 14 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
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
See also: Party control of Florida state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Florida's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

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 May 2024.

State executive officials in Florida, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Ron DeSantis
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Jeanette Nuñez
Secretary of State Republican Party Cord Byrd
Attorney General Republican Party Ashley B. Moody

State legislature

Florida State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 12
     Republican Party 28
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

Florida House of Representatives

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 36
     Republican Party 84
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 120

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twenty-five 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
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
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
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

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Florida in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Florida, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Florida U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 5,181[7] $10,440.00 4/26/2024 Source
Florida U.S. House Unaffiliated 5,181[8] $6,960.00 4/26/2024 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ A majority in the U.S. House when there are no vacancies is 218 seats.
  2. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  3. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 23, 2024
  4. ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Closed Primary Election," accessed July 23, 2024
  5. ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  6. ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023
  7. ↑ Average number of signatures required for all congressional districts. Petition signatures only required in lieu of a filing fee.
  8. ↑ Average number of signatures required for all congressional districts. Petition signatures only required in lieu of a filing fee.


Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Ashley Moody (R)
Rick Scott (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Neal Dunn (R)
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
Anna Luna (R)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
Republican Party (22)
Democratic Party (8)


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