Most members of the Florida congressional delegation easily won their races on Tuesday night, blowing out their opponents across the state.
While U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Fla., sweated out against tough challengers, other congressional incumbents romped to big victories in the Sunshine State.
Some of the Republican congressional incumbents who did not face Democrats -- Ander Crenshaw, David Jolly -- took more than 70 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Despite facing a Democratic foe, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., stood just under 70 percent with almost half of the vote in.
Other Republicans ran over their Democratic foes. Republican Congressmen Ted Yoho, Tom Rooney, Ron DeSantis, Bill Posey, Rich Nugent, John Mica, Dan Webster, Dennis Ross, Vern Buchanan and Curt Clawson took more than 60 percent of the vote as they beat their Democratic opposition.
Two South Florida congressional Republicans -- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart -- and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., faced no opposition on Tuesday.
But Democratic incumbents also won big. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., took more than 85 percent against her Republican opponent. U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., also routed his Republican challenger, taking more than 80 percent. Other Democrats in the Florida delegation -- Corrine Brown, Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- took more than 60 percent. Two freshman Democrats -- Patrick Murphy and Lois Frankel -- garnered almost 60 percent of the vote.
Murphys win might have been an eye opener, had it not been for 2013's savage Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie estuary pollution, in which he played what some constituents called "a hero's role." He thrashed former state Rep. Carl Domino, taking almost 60 percent, despite the GOP holding a narrow edge in voter registration in the district.
U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., won by a narrower margin. He took 54 percent against Republican Carol Platt, who pulled in 43 percent.
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., easily dispatched a write-in challenger to keep his seat while U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., kept her seat with no opposition.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
