U.S. House, Florida - 13th District
Southwest -- Sarasota, most of Bradenton
Race Forecast: Leans Republican
2008: Rep.
2006:
Buchanan faces criticism for multiple lawsuits involving his car dealership business, but the freshman lawmaker continues to hold an edge over Democrat Christine Jennings, a former bank president, who narrowly lost to Buchanan in 2006. Jennings made national headlines when she argued her 369-vote loss to Buchanan was the result of voting machine errors, though an investigation concluded this year that was not the case. The district leans Republican and Buchanan holds the advantage of incumbency this time around. Jennings’ campaign is further complicated by the independent candidacy of lawyer Jan Schneider, who ran as the district’s Democratic nominee in 2002 and 2004 and lost to Jennings in the 2006 primary.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Vern Buchanan, R
- First Elected: 2006 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (50.08%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Republican
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Retirees from the North flock to the Gulf Coast cities of Sarasota and Bradenton, making the 13th a reliably Republican district. Sarasota and Manatee counties have nearly 90 percent of the district’s population; the more affluent tend to live near Sarasota, with middle-class residents more prevalent around Bradenton.
Most residents live near the coast, while farmland and citrus groves are inland. Coastal Sarasota County cultivates a refined image with its art museums, theater and symphony performances. It generally draws a more highly educated and wealthier class of retirees than most other west coast communities in Florida. Bradenton (shared with the 11th) is the retail center of Manatee County. The city is partly a Tampa-St. Petersburg-area suburb, and has a more noticeable mix of incomes and ethnic groups than Sarasota. Overall, the 13th has the nation’s highest median age and is a popular home for older part-time residents.
Service industries, including investment companies, and trade make up much of the labor force. The district’s agricultural industry is strong, with large tomato and citrus crops, although disease is an ongoing threat. The area’s Gulf beaches, barrier islands and state park make environmental policy a bipartisan concern here.
Republicans hold an advantage in party registration, and voters here decidedly favor GOP candidates in statewide races.
Major Industry
Agriculture, tourism, health care, service
Cities
Sarasota, 52,715; Bradenton (pt.), 39,385
Notable
In 1927, the Ringling Bros. circus began setting up shop in Sarasota each winter.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 639,295
- Under 18: 18%
- Over 65: 29%
- Married: 59.8%
- Non-Hispanic White: 86%
- Black: 4%
- Hispanic: 8%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 9.5%
- Language other than English: 12.1%
- Median Household Income: 40,187
- Owner Occupied Housing: 78%
- Income above $200k: 2.8
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 58.5%
- Blue Collar: 23.5%
- Services: 17.9%
- Bachelor's Degree: 24%
- Graduate Education: 8.7%
- Civilian Veterans: 100,683
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Vern Buchanan (R) | 204,382 | 55.5% |
| Christine Jennings (D) | 137,967 | 37.5% | ||
| Jan Schneider (X) | 20,289 | 5.5% | ||
| Don Baldauf (X) | 5,358 | 1.5% | ||
| 2006 | general | Vern Buchanan (R) | 119,309 | 50.1% |
| Christine Jennings (D) | 118,940 | 49.9% | ||
| 2004 | general | Katherine Harris (R) | 190,477 | 55.3% |
| Jan Schneider (D) | 153,961 | 44.7% | ||
| 2002 | general | Katherine Harris (R) | 139,048 | 54.8% |
| Jan Schneider (D) | 114,739 | 45.2% | ||
| Wayne Genthner (Write-In) | 22 | 0% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 43% | George W. Bush: 56% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 44% | George W. Bush: 53% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYLE, COLIN (I) | June 30, 2006 | ||||||
| SCHNEIDER, JAN () | November 24, 2008 | $30,648.00 | $50,038.00 | $17,625.00 | $1,337.00 | $126,448.00 | |
| LA FEVERS, MICHAEL S (D) | September 30, 2008 | $600.00 | $600.00 | $20.00 | $44,298.00 | ||
| JENNINGS, CHRISTINE (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,211,570.00 | $2,399,840.00 | $108,498.00 | $1,475,230.00 | $92,570.00 | $30,000.00 |
| HUDSON, GEORGE T (R) | September 30, 2008 | $2,816.00 | $7,824.00 | $1,036.00 | $178,232.00 | ||
| BUCHANAN, VERNON (R) | November 24, 2008 | $4,376,890.00 | $4,295,827.00 | $144,261.00 | $2,293,685.00 | $91,496.00 | $1,177,465.00 |
| CLARKE, DONNA (R) | May 9, 2007 | $782.00 | $2,223.00 | ||||
| HARRIS, KATHERINE (R) | September 30, 2007 | $31,745.00 | $87,604.00 | $413.00 | |||
| FLANAGAN, MARK GREGORY (R) | March 12, 2008 | ||||||
| DETERT, NANCY C (R) | September 30, 2007 | $2,000.00 | |||||
| BALDAUF, DON () | November 24, 2008 | $9,020.00 | $9,009.00 | $400.00 | $10.00 | $8,530.00 | |
