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Florida's 16th Congressional District is a U.S. congressional district in Florida. The seat is currently served by Republican Tom Rooney.
[edit] Geography
The district stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic coast. It includes parts of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. When the Florida legislature redistricted in 2002 after the 2000 census, a federal court described the boundaries of the 16th and the interlocking 23rd district as an example of gerrymandering and a "raw exercise of majority legislative power."[1]
[edit] Demographics and political leanings
The district has historically leaned Republican,[2] with 52% of the district's vote going to John McCain in 2008. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+5.
[edit] Voting
[edit] 2008 election
Mahoney ran for reelection in the 2008 election. 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. Rooney won the race with 60% of the vote.
[edit] 2006 election
The parties' nominees were Tim Mahoney (Democratic) and Mark Foley (Republican); an independent candidate, Emmie Ross, also qualified. The seat became vacant after the sudden resignation of Republican Mark Foley on September 29, 2006, after it became public that he had sent inappropriate emails to teenage former Congressional pages.[3] (See Mark Foley scandal.)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 elected if Foley won the November 7, 2006 election.[4] Since Mahoney won the election, the question did not arise.[5]
[edit] Representatives
The district was created in 1983, after the 1980 Census increased Florida's apportionment from 15 to 19 seats.
[edit] 1982 election
[edit] References
- ^ Martinez v. Bush, 234 F.Supp.2d 1275, S.D.Fla., December 3, 2002 senate.mn
- ^ 2006 Competitive House Race Chart, The Cook Political Report
- ^ Foley Resigns From Congress Over E-Mails, Guardian Unlimited; Florida Republican Foley Resigns From U.S. House Seat, Bloomberg.com
- ^ GOP Regroups After Foley's Departure, CBS News
- ^ U.S. House District 16: Mahoney fends off Negron
[edit] External links
