Florida's 18th Congressional District

Florida's 18th Congressional District

Incumbent

Scott Franklin

Assumed office: January 3, 2023

Florida's 18th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives is represented by Scott Franklin (R).

As of the 2020 Census, Florida representatives represented an average of 770,376 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 700,029 residents.

Elections

• 2030
• 2028
• 2026
• 2024
• 2022
• 2020
• 2018

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2030

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2028

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Scott Franklin (R) and Deva Simmons (No Party Affiliation) are running in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 18 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Scott Franklin (R)
	Submit photo	Deva Simmons (No Party Affiliation)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Scott Franklin (R) defeated Andrea Doria Kale (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 18 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Franklin (R)	65.3	225,170
		Andrea Doria Kale (D)	34.7	119,637

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 344,807
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Richardson (No Party Affiliation)

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Andrea Doria Kale (D) defeated Peter Braunston (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andrea Doria Kale	66.9	16,778
		Peter Braunston	33.1	8,291

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,069
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for August 20, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Scott Franklin (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Keith R. Hayden Jr. (R)

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Scott Franklin (R) defeated Keith R. Hayden Jr. (No Party Affiliation) and Leonard Serratore (No Party Affiliation) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 18 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Franklin (R)	74.7	167,429
		Keith R. Hayden Jr. (No Party Affiliation)	25.3	56,647
		Leonard Serratore (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in)	0.1	158

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 224,234
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for August 23, 2022, was canceled.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Scott Franklin (R) defeated Jennifer Raybon (R), Wendy Schmeling (R), Kenneth Hartpence (R), and Eddie Tarazona (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Franklin	73.1	44,927
		Jennifer Raybon	10.7	6,606
		Wendy Schmeling	6.7	4,099
		Kenneth Hartpence	6.5	3,999
		Eddie Tarazona	3.0	1,864

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,495
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• George Shepherd (R)

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Brian Mast (R) defeated Pam Keith (D) and K.W. Miller (No Party Affiliation) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 18 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Mast (R)	56.3	253,286
		Pam Keith (D)	41.5	186,674
		K.W. Miller (No Party Affiliation)	2.2	9,760

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 449,720
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Karen Vaughn (Unaffiliated)

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Pam Keith (D) defeated Oz Vazquez (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pam Keith	79.8	52,921
		Oz Vazquez	20.2	13,385

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 66,306
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Brian Mast (R) defeated Nicholas Vessio (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Mast	86.0	62,121
		Nicholas Vessio	14.0	10,081

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 72,202
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Brian Mast (R) defeated Lauren Baer (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 18 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Mast (R)	54.3	185,905
		Lauren Baer (D)	45.7	156,454

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 342,359 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Lauren Baer (D) defeated Pam Keith (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Baer	60.3	35,028
		Pam Keith	39.7	23,064

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,0920
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18

Incumbent Brian Mast (R) defeated Mark Freeman (R) and Dave Cummings (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 18 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Mast	77.6	55,527
		Mark Freeman	11.3	8,096
		Dave Cummings	11.0	7,888

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,5110
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Previous election results

2016

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2016

Florida's 18th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Patrick Murphy (D) chose not to seek re-election in 2016 in order to pursue a U.S. Senate bid. Brian Mast (R) defeated Randy Perkins (D), Carla Spalding (I), and write-in candidate Marilyn Holloman in the general election on November 8, 2016. Perkins defeated Jonathan Chane and John Xuna in the Democratic primary, while Mast defeated Rebecca Negron, Carl Domino, Rick Kozell, Noelle Nikpour, and Mark Freeman to win the Republican nomination. The primary elections took place on August 30, 2016.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brian Mast	53.6%	201,488
	Democratic	Randy Perkins	43.1%	161,918
	Independent	Carla Spalding	3.3%	12,503
	N/A	Write-in	0%	9
Total Votes				375,918
Source: Florida Division of Elections

U.S. House, Florida District 18 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Brian Mast	38%	24,099
Rebecca Negron	25.6%	16,242
Mark Freeman	15.8%	10,000
Carl Domino	12.5%	7,942
Rick Kozell	6.8%	4,334
Noelle Nikpour	1.3%	835
Total Votes		63,452
Source: Florida Division of Elections

U.S. House, Florida District 18 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Randy Perkins	60.4%	27,861
Jonathan Chane	32.3%	14,897
John Xuna	7.4%	3,394
Total Votes		46,152
Source: Florida Division of Elections

2014

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District elections, 2014

Florida's 18th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2014 due to the fact that the race had a very low margin of victory in the last election. Incumbent Patrick Murphy faced no challenger in the Democratic primary. In the Republican primary, Carl Domino triumphed over Calvin Turnquest, Alan Schlesinger, Beverly Joy Hires, Nick Robert Wukoson and Brian Lara. Murphy then defeated Domino in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy Incumbent	59.8%	151,478
	Republican	Carl Domino	40.2%	101,896
Total Votes				253,374
Source: Florida Division of Elections

2012

See also: Florida's 18th Congressional District elections, 2012

The 18th District of Florida held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy	50.3%	166,257
	Republican	Allen West Incumbent	49.7%	164,353
	Write-In	Marilyn Davis Holloman	0%	55
Total Votes				330,665
Source: Florida Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010
On November 2, 2010, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Roland A. Banciella (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	68.9%	102,360
	Democratic	Rolando A. Banciella	31.1%	46,235
Total Votes				148,595

2008
On November 4, 2008, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Annette Taddeo (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	57.9%	140,617
	Democratic	Annette Taddeo	42.1%	102,372
Total Votes				242,989

2006
On November 7, 2006, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated David "Big Dave" Patlak (D) and Margaret Trowe (Write-in) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	62.1%	79,631
	Democratic	David "Big Dave" Patlak	37.9%	48,499
	Write-in	Margaret Trowe	0%	2
Total Votes				128,132

2004
On November 2, 2004, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Sam Sheldon (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	64.7%	143,647
	Democratic	Sam Sheldon	35.3%	78,281
Total Votes				221,928

2002
On November 5, 2002, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Ray Chote (D) and Orin Opperman (No Party Affiliation) in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	69.1%	103,512
	Democratic	Ray Chote	28.6%	42,852
	No Party Affiliation	Orin Opperman	2.3%	3,423
Total Votes				149,787

2000
On November 7, 2000, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Write-in candidates in the general election.

U.S. House, Florida District 18 General Election, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen	100%	112,968
	N/A	Write-in	0%	23
Total Votes				112,991

District map

Redistricting

2020-2024

See also: Redistricting in Florida after the 2020 census

On March 27, 2024, the U.S. District Court for Northern Florida upheld the state's congressional map after it was struck down by a lower court on Sep. 2, 2023. As a result, this map was used for Florida's 2024 congressional elections. According to the U.S. District Court for Northern Florida's order:

“

This case involves constitutional challenges to the congressional districting map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis and enacted by the Florida Legislature in 2022 ... Plaintiffs had to prove both discriminatory effects and a discriminatory purpose. They proved neither. Thus, [we] concur in the decision to grant judgment in the Secretary’s favor.

”

On December 1, 2023, the Florida First District Court of Appeal ruled 8-2 that the redistricting plan did not unconstitutionally limit Black voting power. The plaintiffs appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, which heard arguments on September 12, 2024.

On September 2, 2023, Leon County Circuit Court Judge J. Lee Marsh struck down enacted North Florida congressional districts and ordered the Legislature to redraw district boundaries. On June 2, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court had declined to block Florida's enacted congressional map, which Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law on April 22.

The Florida First District Court of Appeal had reinstated the congressional district boundaries on May 20, overruling Leon County Circuit Court Judge Layne Smith's temporary hold on the map. On May 11, Smith issued an order declaring Florida's enacted congressional map unconstitutional, saying, "The enacted map is unconstitutional under the Fair District amendment. It diminishes African-Americans’ ability to elect the representative of their choice." Smith also said a map drawn by a court-appointed special master should be substituted for the enacted map in the 2022 elections. The plaintiffs in the case filed an emergency appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on May 23, 2022, seeking a hold on the enacted congressional map.

DeSantis signed the original congressional map into law on April 22, 2022. The map bill was proposed and approved by the Florida State Legislature during a special session called for the purposes of redistricting. The Florida State Senate voted 24-15 to approve the map on April 20, and the Florida House of Representatives voted 68-34 to approve the map on April 21.

This was the second congressional map bill approved by the state legislature. DeSantis vetoed the first on March 29. Republican leaders in the legislature said on April 11 that they would wait to receive a map from DeSantis to support. DeSantis submitted a map to the legislature on April 13, which became the enacted map.

How does redistricting in Florida work? In Florida, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional lines are adopted as regular legislation and are subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative lines are passed via joint resolution and are not subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative district maps are automatically submitted to the Florida Supreme Court for approval. In the event that the court rejects the lines, the legislature is given a second chance to draft a plan. If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, the state attorney general must ask the state supreme court to draft a plan. There are no similar procedures in place for congressional districts.

The Florida Constitution requires that all districts, whether congressional or state legislative, be contiguous. Also, "where doing so does not conflict with minority rights, [districts] must be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible." Districts cannot be drawn in such a way as to "favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent."

2020

2024

2010-2011

This is the 18th Congressional District of Florida after the 2001 redistricting process.

See also: Redistricting in Florida after the 2010 census

In 2011, the Florida State Legislature re-drew the congressional districts based on updated population information from the 2010 census. Prior to redistricting the 18th District included portions of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The Miami-Dade section included most of the city of Miami, the South Beach section of Miami Beach, and many of the southern Miami suburbs, including Coral Gables and Coral Terrace. The Monroe County section of the district included all of the Florida Keys.

District analysis

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

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

2026

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+14. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 14 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 18th the 84th most Republican district nationally.

2024

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+13. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 18th the 103rd most Republican district nationally.

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) 60.9%-38.1%.

2022

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+13. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 18th the 107th most Republican district nationally.

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have received 38.1% of the vote in this district and Donald Trump (R) would have received 60.9%.

2018

Heading into the 2018 elections, based on results from the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 18th Congressional District the 195th most Republican nationally.

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 0.96. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.96 points toward that party.

See also

• Redistricting in Florida
• Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2024
• Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2022
• Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2020
• Florida's 18th Congressional District election, 2018

External links

• GovTrack District 18

Footnotes

[show]

Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ashley Moody (R)

Rick Scott (R)

Representatives

District 1

Jimmy Patronis (R)

District 2

Neal Dunn (R)

District 3

Kat Cammack (R)

District 4

Aaron Bean (R)

District 5

John Rutherford (R)

District 6

Randy Fine (R)

District 7

Cory Mills (R)

District 8

Mike Haridopolos (R)

District 9

Darren Soto (D)

District 10

Maxwell Frost (D)

District 11

Daniel Webster (R)

District 12

Gus Bilirakis (R)

District 13

Anna Luna (R)

District 14

Kathy Castor (D)

District 15

Laurel Lee (R)

District 16

Vern Buchanan (R)

District 17

Greg Steube (R)

District 18

Scott Franklin (R)

District 19

Byron Donalds (R)

District 20

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)

District 21

Brian Mast (R)

District 22

Lois Frankel (D)

District 23

Jared Moskowitz (D)

District 24

Frederica Wilson (D)

District 25

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)

District 26

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

District 27

Maria Elvira Salazar (R)

District 28

Carlos Gimenez (R)

Republican Party (22)

Democratic Party (8)