The Winner
If you live in Florida's 18th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL), who was declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to the Associated Press. Franklin took about 50.3% of the vote to about 46.7% for Democrat Curtis Gibson, a margin of about four points or about 9,957 votes, according to official results from the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections as of Nov. 11. The seat stays in Republican hands.
The winner is based on the Associated Press call, and the vote figures are preliminary because the results have not been certified and totals may change until they are.
The Race
Gibson, the Democratic opponent, reached the general election ballot by winning the Democratic primary on Aug. 18. Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Republican heading into Election Day. Deva Simmons, listed under "Other," took about 3.0% of the vote.
The district covers Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Lake Wales, and Auburndale in Polk County, according to the Florida Legislative Office of Economic & Demographic Research. It has about 825,000 residents and a median age of about 41, according to geographic data for the district.
Median household income is about $62,000, about 20.6 percent of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate is about 4.9 percent, and about 16.1 percent of residents live below the poverty line.
The district is about 58.1 percent white, 29.7 percent Hispanic, 13.2 percent Black, and 1.5 percent Asian.
What's Next
Franklin is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027, as set by the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He said there is an opportunity to work across party lines on issues benefiting Florida, while expressing concern that political opposition to Trump could hinder that cooperation, according to The Floridian, which reported his comments on Nov. 11.
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