Florida's 5th Congressional District election, 2026

← 2024
Florida's 5th Congressional District
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. Voting in Florida
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican 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 5th 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 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Democratic primary)
• Florida's 5th 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. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Wyatt Clark (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Rachel Grage, Alexander Hazen, Mark Heggestad, and Eli Johnson are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 18, 2026.

		Candidate
		Rachel Grage
	Submit photo	Alexander Hazen
		Mark Heggestad
	Submit photo	Eli Johnson

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent John Rutherford, Mark Kaye, and Donald Muirheid are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 18, 2026.

		Candidate
		John Rutherford
	Submit photo	Mark Kaye
	Submit photo	Donald Muirheid

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Florida

Election information in Florida: Aug. 18, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: July 20, 2026
• By mail: Postmarked by July 20, 2026
• Online: July 20, 2026

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

N/A

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

• In-person: Aug. 6, 2026
• By mail: Received by Aug. 6, 2026
• Online: Aug. 6, 2026

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

• In-person: Aug. 18, 2026
• By mail: Received by Aug. 18, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Aug. 8, 2026 to Aug. 15, 2026

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

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (ET/CT)

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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
John Rutherford	Republican Party	$314,838	$155,338	$337,170	As of September 30, 2025
Rachel Grage	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Alexander Hazen	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Mark Heggestad	Democratic Party	$6,279	$4,661	$1,618	As of December 31, 2025
Eli Johnson	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Antonio Merrick	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Mark Kaye	Republican Party	$12,541	$7,435	$5,106	As of September 30, 2025
Donald Muirheid	Republican Party	$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." ** 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.

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.
• 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.

Race ratings: Florida's 5th Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	1/27/2026	1/20/2026	1/13/2026	1/6/2026
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.

• 2024
• 2022
• 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent John Rutherford (R) defeated Jay McGovern (D) and Gary Koniz (No Party Affiliation) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Rutherford (R)	63.1	267,471
		Jay McGovern (D)	36.9	156,570
		Gary Koniz (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in)	0.0	23

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 424,064
= 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. Jay McGovern (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jacqueline Boulin Romain (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent John Rutherford (R) defeated Mara Macie (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Rutherford	67.1	48,628
		Mara Macie	32.9	23,792

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 72,420
= 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

• Jim May (R)

General election

The general election scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent John Rutherford (R) won election in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Democratic primary

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

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Connell Crooms (D)
• Jonathan Marc (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent John Rutherford (R) defeated Mara Macie (R) and Leigha Garner-Lopez (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Rutherford	65.7	87,720
		Mara Macie	17.7	23,607
		Leigha Garner-Lopez	16.7	22,283

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 133,610
= 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

• Tom Lister (R)

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent Alfred Lawson (D) defeated Gary Adler (R) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 5 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alfred Lawson (D)	65.1	219,463
		Gary Adler (R)	34.9	117,510

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 336,973
= 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

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Incumbent Alfred Lawson (D) defeated Albert Chester (D) and LaShonda Holloway (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alfred Lawson	55.7	52,823
		Albert Chester	25.9	24,579
		LaShonda Holloway	18.3	17,378

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,780 (100% precincts reporting)
= 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

• Isaiah Abenchuchan (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5

Gary Adler (R) defeated Roger Wagoner (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 5 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gary Adler	52.1	17,433
	Submit photo	Roger Wagoner	47.9	16,012

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,445 (100% precincts reporting)
= 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

• Matthew Lusk (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.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026

Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's 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+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 5th the 130th most Republican district nationally.

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.

2024 presidential results in Florida's 5th Congressional District

Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
39.0%	60.0%

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

See also: Party control of Florida state government

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.

State executive officials in Florida, October 2025

Office	Officeholder
Governor	Ron DeSantis
Lieutenant Governor	Jay Collins
Secretary of State	Cord Byrd
Attorney General	James Uthmeier

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

Florida	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
Florida congressional delegation Voting in Florida Florida elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

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)

2025-2026 Elections to the United States Congress

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Election information

Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • List of candidates running for election • List of congressional challengers • Retiring senators • Retiring representatives

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Super PACs/Organizations

American Bridge 21st Century • American Crossroads • American Unity PAC • Campaign for Primary Accountability • Club for Growth Action • Congressional Leadership Fund • Cooperative of American Physicians IE Committee• Crossroads Generation • Ending Spending Action Fund • Endorse Liberty • Fair Share Action • FreedomWorks for America • Government Integrity Fund • House Majority PAC • Independence USA Fund • League of Conservation Voters • Liberty for All PAC • Majority PAC • National Association of Realtors • NEA Advocacy Fund • Now or Never PAC • Planned Parenthood Votes • Ready for Hillary • Republicans for a Prosperous America • Restore America's Voice PAC • SEIU Pea-Federal • Women Vote!

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