2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida

The 2000 congressional elections in Florida were held on November 7, 2000, to determine who would represent the state of Florida in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 107th Congress from January 3, 2001, until January 3, 2003. The election coincided with the 2000 United States presidential election.

United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2000

← 1998 November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07) 2002 →

All 23 Florida seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 15 8
Seats won 15 8
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 2,130,626 1,976,189
Percentage 47.62% 44.17%

At the time, Florida had twenty-three seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1990 United States census. Its delegation to the 106th Congress of 1999-2001 consisted of fifteen Republicans and eight Democrats. No seats switched parties in 2000, though the incumbents in Districts 4, 8, and 12 retired. Thus, Florida's delegation to the 107th Congress consisted of fifteen Republicans and eight Democrats. The election for 8th and 22nd districts were competitive, with both decided by a margin of less than 2%. The latter district, which was based in the Miami area, underwent a recount in the midst of a controversial recount of votes for the presidential election.

The Primary election was held September 5, 2000, while the general election was held November 7, 2000. Florida did not have early voting until 2004, in response to the presidential election in 2000.

Overview

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The table below shows the total number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost by each political party in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Florida. All vote totals come from the Florida Secretary of State's website along with the individual counties' election department websites.

United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2000
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 2,130,626 47.62% 15 0
Democratic 1,976,189 44.17% 8 0
Others 183,460 4.10% 0 0
Totals 4,473,735 100.00% 23
Voter turnout 70.1%

Districts

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District 1

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Republican Joe Scarborough was first elected in 1994 and decided to seek a fourth term in 2000. During the primary, Scarborough was challenged by Pensacola attorney David Condon. As expected,[1] Scarborough prevailed over Condon, winning by a margin of 77.4%-22.6%.[2] This was the only seat tantamount to the election in Florida, because the winner of the Republican primary would face no Democratic opposition.[1] In the general election on November 7, 2000, Scarborough received only token opposition from four write-in candidates - Dave Blue, Mark Coutu, Fred Hoole, and Dudley Wiley. Scraborough won the election with 99.5% of the vote.[3] Primary election results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Scarborough 54,032 77.4
Republican David Condon 15,808 22.6
Total votes 69,840 100

General election results

Florida 1st Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Scarborough 226,473 99.95
Write-In Mark S. Coutu 376 0.02
Write-In Fred Hoole 311 0.01
Write-In Dudley Wiley 192 0.01
Write-In Dave Blue 187 0.74
Total votes 227,539 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

District 2

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Incumbent Allen Boyd, who had been in office since 1997, sought a third term during this election cycle. He faced no challenges for the Democratic nomination.[4] Likewise, Republican Doug Dodd received no opposition in his respective primary.[2] Thomas A. Frederick also entered the race as a write-in candidate. Boyd prevailed in this then-left leaning district, winning with 72.1% of the vote.[3] General election results

Florida 2nd Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Allen Boyd 185,579 72.1
Republican Doug Dodd 71,754 27.9
Write-In Thomas A. Frederick 70 0.0
Total votes 257,403 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold

District 3

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As in District 2, neither incumbent Corrine Brown (D) or Jennifer Carroll (R) faced opposition in their respective primaries.[2][4] Write-in candidate Carl Sumner also entered the race. On election day, Brown defeated future-Lieutenant Governor Carroll and Sumner by comfortable margin, receiving 57.6% of the vote in this left-leaning district.[3] General election results

Florida 3rd Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown 102,143 57.6
Republican Jennifer Carroll 75,228 42.4
Write-In Carl Sumner 1 0.0
Total votes 177,372 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold

District 4

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Incumbent Tillie K. Fowler (R) declined to run for re-election in 2000, leaving an open seat. The two candidates in the Republican primary were CEO and President of America's Choice Title Company Dan Quiggle and Ander Crenshaw, President of the Florida Senate and son-in law of former Governor of Claude R. Kirk, Jr. Crenshaw easily defeated Quiggle and received over two-thirds of the votes.[2] Former Jacksonville mayor Tommy Hazouri, Jacksonville City County President Eric Smith, and former State Representative Mike Langton considered running for the Democratic nomination, but all declined, leaving only Jacksonville lawyer Kevin Sanders and businessman Tom Sullivan.[5] On the day of the primary, Sullivan won, garnering about 62.2% of the vote.[4] In addition, independent Deborah K. Pueschel and write-in candidate Vince W. Ray entered the race. Republican Crenshaw soundly defeated Sullivan, Pueschel, and Ray on election day.[3] Primary election results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ander Crenshaw 47,588 69.6
Republican Dan Quiggle 20,816 30.4
Total votes 68,404 100
Democratic primary results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Sullivan 29,009 62.2
Democratic Kevin Sanders 17,652 37.8
Total votes 46,661 100

General election results

Florida 4th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ander Crenshaw 203,090 67.0
Democratic Tom Sullivan 94,587 31.2
Independent Deborah K. Pueschel 5,609 1.8
Write-In Vince W. Gray 0 0.0
Total votes 303,286 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

District 5

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Democratic incumbent Karen Thurman ran for a fifth term in 2000. She went unchallenged in the primary for her party's nomination.[4] However, the Republican primary featured a tough contest between Pete Enwall and Jim King, both of whom were businessmen from Gainesville.[6] During the week before the primary, the St. Petersburg Times hosted a candidate forum between Enwall and King. Enwall claimed that King's campaign fliers distorted his views on social issues and accused King of mudslinging.[7] On the day of the primary, Enwall narrowly defeated King, garnering about 51.4% of the vote.[2] Write-in candidate Don Johnson also entered in the general election. Thurman trounced Enwall and Johnson, receiving nearly two-thirds of the vote.[3] Primary election results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Enwall 19,405 51.4
Republican Dan Quiggle 18,375 48.6
Total votes 37,780 100

General election results

Florida 5th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Karen Thurman 180,338 64.3
Republican Pete Enwall 100,244 35.7
Write-In Don Johnson 16 0.0
Total votes 280,598 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold

District 6

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Republican Cliff Stearns, who had been in office since 1989, ran for a seventh term in 2000. He faced no primary challengers or a Democratic candidate in the general election.[2][3] Timothy Clower, a Jacksonville taxi business owner and a write-in candidate for this election, intended to use the term limits issue against Stearns, as he promised in 1988 that he would serve only six terms. Barbara Elliott of Bradenton also ran as a write-in candidate.[8] The term limits issue failed to gain traction, as Stearns was re-elected almost unanimously, winning approximately 99.9% of the votes.[3] General election results

Florida 6th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cliff Stearns 178,789 99.9
Write-In Timothy Clower 152 0.1
Write-In Barbara Elliott 31 0.0
Total votes 178,972 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

District 7

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Republican John Mica has been elected every two years since 1992. He sought re-election again in 2000. Mica faced did not face a primary challenge;[2] neither did his Democratic opponent, Dan Vaughen,[4] a DeLand lawyer and ethics in law professor at the University of Central Florida.[9] Additionally, Norman E. Nelson was eligible as a write-in candidate. Mica was endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel, which noted that "John Mica is the kind of representative others should strive to be."[10] Mica prevailed in a landslide, collecting about 63.2% of the votes.[3] General election results

Florida 7th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Mica 171,018 63.2
Democratic Dan Vaughen 99,531 36.8
Write-In Norman E. Nelson 11 0.0
Total votes 270,560 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

District 8

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Republican Bill McCollum, who was first elected to this district in 1992, decided to run for the Senate seat of retiring incumbent Connie Mack III. This allowed for a very competitive Republican primary. By as early as August 1999, four candidates declared for the Republican nomination, including businessman Bob Hering, attorney Ric Keller, Orlando attorney Hector "Tico" Perez, and State Representative Bill Sublette.[11] However, Perez withdrew from the race in December, around the time that then-State Senator Daniel Webster declined to run.[12] Primary election results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Sublette 18,196 43.4
Republican Ric Keller 12,981 31.0
Republican Bob Hering 10,736 25.6
Total votes 41,913 100

Run-off election results

Republican run-off results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ric Keller 16,292 51.9
Republican Bill Sublette 15,077 48.1
Total votes 31,369 100

General election results

Florida 8th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ric Keller 125,253 50.8
Democratic Linda Chapin 121,295 49.2
Write-In Clay O. Hill 6 0.0
Write-In Charlie Klein 39 0.0
Total votes 246,593 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

District 9

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Republican Michael Bilirakis, first elected to the seat in 1982, sought another term in 2000. He was not challenged for the Republican nomination,[2] nor did he face a Democratic opponent in the general election. Instead, Reform Party member Jon Duffey and write-in candidate Marie Ospina entered the race. Bilirakis won overwhelmingly, receiving 81.9% of the votes.[3] General election results

Florida 9th Congressional District 2000[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Bilirakis 210,318 81.9
Reform Jon Duffey 46,474 19.1
Write-In Marie Ospina 2 0.0
Total votes 256,794 100.0
Turnout  
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ a b "Only One Floridian In Congress Has Primary Opposition Tuesday". The Gainesville Sun. Pensacola, Florida. Associated Press. September 3, 2000. p. 46. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m September 5, 2000 Primary Election Republican Primary (Report). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Department of State. 2000. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r November 7, 2000 General Election (Report). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Department of State. 2000. Archived from the original on May 16, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f September 5, 2000 Primary Election Democratic Primary (Report). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Department of State. 2000. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  5. ^ Jim Saunders (May 17, 2000). "Democrats not rushing into battle". The Florida Times-Union. Tallahassee, Florida. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  6. ^ Mike Griffin (May 13, 2000). "Gop Has Tough Races For A Change". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  7. ^ Jim Ross (September 7, 2000). "Thurman's rival seeks to turn foe to friend". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  8. ^ David Damron (September 22, 2000). "A Write-in Candidate Has Tough Job Ahead". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  9. ^ Brown (October 21, 2000). "Mica In District 7". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  10. ^ Robert Perez (October 14, 2000). "Vaughen Knows It'll Be Hard To Unseat Mica In House". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  11. ^ Scott Maxwell (August 6, 1999). "House Hopefuls Amass War Chests". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  12. ^ Scott Maxwell (December 23, 1999). "Republican Perez Joins Exodus From House Race". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
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