Overshadowed by a razor-tight governors race and a three-way contest for an open U.S. Senate seat, several Florida congressional races are being eyed closely by national political watchers for having the potential to determine who controls Congress.
And recent polling suggests that Republicans are likely to win all three open Cabinet posts, three other races that have been largely under the radar, raising the prospect of returning the Cabinet to GOP control. Republicans held all three seats on the Cabinet from 2003 to 2007.
Democrats are desperately trying to hold on to U.S. Rep. Allen Boyds District 2 seat in North Florida, trying to fend off a challenge from Republican Steve Southerland. Boyd, first elected to Congress in 1996, has been one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party in Congress, but angered many in his mostly rural, mostly conservative district with a vote in favor of the federal health-care law. Southerland, a Panama City funeral home owner, has gotten lots of help from national Republicans who see a possible pickup.
Republicans need to pick up just 39 seats to retake control of Congress and projections from a variety of sources based on polling are forecasting a GOP pickup of at least 50 seats in the House. The Senate is seen as likely to narrowly remain in Democratic hands.
In addition to aiming hard at Boyds seat, Republicans also are confident they will defeat U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, a freshman Democrat who unseated scandal-tainted former Rep. Tom Feeney two years ago in a Central Florida district. State Rep. Sandy Adams is leading in most polling and it would take a stronger Democratic turnout than is expected for Kosmas to keep her seat.
Also in Central Florida, Democrats are working to defend the District 8 seat held by firebrand liberal Alan Grayson. Hes one of the most colorful characters in Congress and the GOP would love to take him out. Hes also one of the best-funded candidates up for re-election. The Republican, Dan Webster, is well-known and well-liked in the district, and is from the conservative wing of his party. Candidates who are well-liked by conservatives are expected to do well in a year in which much has been made of the enthusiasm for voting on the right.
In South Florida, Republicans say theyre confident they will unseat Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, in District 22. A charismatic tea party-backed Republican candidate, Allen West, narrowly lost to Klein two years ago in a district that for years was held by Republican Clay Shaw. The national GOP has a target on Klein. as well, because hes seen as vulnerable.
Democrats do have their eye on a couple of seats they hope to flip, particularly District 25 in the Miami area. Democrat Joe Garcia nearly lost in the race for the seat two years ago and is fairly well-known. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who is running for Congress in another nearby district that is more safely Republican. The Republican candidate in the race is state Rep. David Rivera, who is backed by the GOP establishment and well-funded.
If there is a bright spot for Democrats down the ballot on Tuesday, it may be in House District 12 in Central Florida, where theyve got an eye trained on House District 12. That seat, centered in Polk County, is being vacated by Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican, who is leaving to run for agriculture commissioner, and Democrats think they can steal it. Former state lawmakers Dennis Ross, a Republican, and Lori Edwards, a Democrat who is currently the Polk County supervisor of elections, are both well-known and are running nearly even in some polls. A third candidate in the race, the Tea Partys Randy Wilkinson, is polling about 20 percent, and many of those voters are thought to be Republicans who might otherwise vote for Ross.
