Florida's 16th congressional district

Florida's 16th congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Vern Buchanan R–Sarasota
Area	1,664[1] sq mi (4,310 km2)
Distribution	94.26% urban[2] 5.74% rural
Population (2023)	850,603[3]
Median household income	$83,386[4]
Ethnicity	59.8% White 21.6% Hispanic 11.1% Black 3.8% Two or more races 2.9% Asian 0.8% other
Cook PVI	R+7[5]

Florida's 16th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress which encompasses eastern Hillsborough County and the entirety of Manatee County. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was drawn out of Sarasota and Sarasota County to include more of Tampa's eastern suburbs, including Riverview and parts of Brandon south of Florida State Road 60.

The district is currently represented by Republican Vern Buchanan.

The 16th district was created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census.

When the Florida legislature redistricted in 2002 after the 2000 U.S. census, a federal court described the boundaries of the 16th congressional district and the interlocking 23rd congressional district as an example of gerrymandering and a "raw exercise of majority legislative power".^[6]

From 2013 to 2017, the district includes Sarasota County and most of Manatee County. After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, the district was moved northwards to include southern Hillsborough County, while southern Sarasota County was moved into the 17th district.

• Brandon – 114,626
• Riverview – 107,396
• Bradenton – 55,698
• Valrico – 37,895
• Lakewood Ranch – 34,877
• Sun City Center – 30,952
• Ruskin – 28,620
• South Bradenton – 26,858
• Apollo Beach – 26,002
• Fish Hawk – 24,625
• Bloomingdale – 22,947
• Bayshore Gardens – 19,904
• Gibsonton – 18,566
• Palmetto – 13,323

• Wimauma – 9,467
• Longboat Key – 7,505
• Memphis – 9,024
• Balm – 6,541
• West Samoset – 6,482
• West Bradenton – 4,247
• Samoset – 4,146
• Ellenton – 4,129
• Cortez – 4,121
• Holmes Beach – 3,010
• Whitfield – 2,989

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
District created January 3, 1983
Lawrence Smith (Hollywood)	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993	98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired.
Tom Lewis (Palm Beach Gardens)	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995	103rd	Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 1992. Retired.
Mark Foley (Jupiter)	Republican	January 3, 1995 – September 29, 2006	104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th	Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Resigned.
Vacant		September 29, 2006 – January 3, 2007	109th
Tim Mahoney (Venus)	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009	110th	Elected in 2006. Lost re-election.
Tom Rooney (Tequesta)	Republican	January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013	111th 112th	Elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 17th district.
Vern Buchanan (Sarasota)	Republican	January 3, 2013 – present	113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th	Redistricted from the 13th district and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024.

• The seat became vacant after Foley's sudden resignation on September 29, 2006, after it became public that he had sent inappropriate emails to male teenage former congressional pages.^[7] Foley's resignation occurred too late under Florida law to take his name off the ballot. Therefore, Foley's name remained on the ballot, but votes cast for him went to his replacement, State Representative Joe Negron, who would have been duly elected had Foley won the November 7, 2006 election.^[8] Since Mahoney won the election, the question did not arise.^[9]

• Incumbent Tim Mahoney ran for reelection in 2008. His opponent was Tom Rooney, a former JAG officer, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and professor at the United States Military Academy. Rooney is also the grandson of the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Mahoney was initially favored, after the scandal involving his mistress, the race shifted toward "likely Republican" on the Cook Political Report.

Florida's 16th Congressional District Election (2018)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Vern Buchanan*	197,483	54.56%	5.21%
	Democratic	David Shapiro	164,463	45.44%	5.21%
Total votes			361,946	100.00%	6.21%
Majority			33,020	9.12%	10.4%
	Republican hold

• 
  2003–2013
• 
  2013–2017
• 
  2017–2023

The former 16th district in 2003–2012 stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Coast and included parts of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. Included within the district were Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie, and Palm Beach.

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

• 2000 Census Data
• OpenSecrets.org's summary of spending for the 2006 race

27°18′23″N 82°25′34″W / 27.30639°N 82.42611°W / 27.30639; -82.42611