Incumbent Tampa Bay U.S. Congressional Members Win The Day

TAMPA BAY, FL — In races from Pinellas County to the much-contested Interstate 4 corridor in Polk County, incumbents won the day in their bids to retain their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The exception was District 15, which includes Polk and east Hillsborough County. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ross Spano, R-Riverview, lost his bid for re-election in the August primary to Lakeland City Commissioner Scott Franklin.

For the past two months, Franklin has battled Democrat Alan Cohn, a former television journalist and investigative reporter, to keep the traditionally Republican seat from turning blue.

His campaigning paid off. With unofficial results from all precincts reporting, Franklin won with 213,255 votes to Cohn's 170,965.

Congressional representatives who were able to hold on to their seats included:

District 15 incumbent Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who received 221,706 votes to Democratic opponent Christine Y. Quinn's 146,549 votes

District 13 incumbent Charles Crist, D-St. Petersburg, who was victorious over political newcomer Anna Paulina Luna, R-St. Petersburg, with 214,240 votes to 189,812 votes.

District 12 incumbent Gus Michael Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who defeated opponent, Democrat Kimberly Walker, 283,152 to 166,672 votes.

And District 16 incumbent Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, who defeated Democrat Margaret Good with 266,031 votes to Good's 212,500 votes.

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