The Winner
If you live in Florida's 8th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), who has been declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to the Associated Press.
Haridopolos took about 53.2% of the vote to about 46.8% for Democrat Jennifer Jenkins, a margin of about 20,261 votes or about six points, according to official results from the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections as of Nov. 10.
The call rests on unofficial counts, so the vote figures are preliminary and may change until the state certifies them.
The Race
Jennifer Jenkins was the Democratic opponent and reached the general election ballot through the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Republican heading into Election Day.
Florida's 8th Congressional District has about 801,600 residents, according to geographic data for the district. Median household income is about $77,300 and median age is about 48.6.
About 34.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the population is about 73.9% white, 12.6% Hispanic, 9.5% Black, and 2.3% Asian, with an unemployment rate of about 4.8% and about 10.4% of residents below the poverty line.
What's Next
Haridopolos is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027, a date set by the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He said he will continue prioritizing U.S. leadership in space and innovation, lowering costs and cutting red tape, and responsible leadership on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, according to Congressman Mike Haridopolos's official House website, which published a Jan. 14 press release summarizing his Florida Today op-ed.
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