The general election is just over one month away, and one of the most contested races in the country is for Florida's new ninth congressional district, which encompasses parts of Central Florida.
Democrat Darren Soto has held the seat for about a decade. Now, he's facing a challenge from Dan Green, a candidate from Indian River County who won the Republican primary in August.
When Soto ran for reelection in 2024, his district didn't include Indian River County — just Osceola County, a small portion of Orange County and a sliver of Polk County.
But in April, Florida Republicans redrew the state's congressional map, making what was a majority Hispanic and Democratic-leaning area more white and Republican.
The new district boundaries are three times the size of the previous district. Now, it's roughly the size of Connecticut.
To get a better picture of this vast area, Central Florida Public Media Elections Reporter Sam Stockbridge embarked on a five-day road trip through the district to hear from potential voters what they're thinking about ahead of the election, and what they want to see from their next elected official.
Changing demographics
The new district includes four more counties. It stretches from near the Orlando airport down to Glades County, about 130 miles south, and also includes all of Indian River, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties in addition to Osceola county and a small piece of Polk county. The new map also changes the district’s demographics.
"The old district was majority Hispanic. About 55% of the district was Hispanic, and the new district is about 40% Hispanic,” said Rollins College political science professor Patrick Rickert. “It used to be about 30, 35% white, and now it is half, and it's about two to three percentage points less black."
Soto’s district is a critical race this midterm season. Democrats are trying to flip control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November. Internal polling shows the race in a dead heat.
Republicans, meanwhile, are hoping that the district now including more potential red voters will prevent them from losing their majority in the House, despite President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings and a historical precedent of midterm losses for the party in power.
The new counties
Indian River County is the farthest east part of the district. It brings the Atlantic Coast into District 9. Water is an important topic for many of its coastal communities, and it’s also home to the country's first National Wildlife Refuge on Pelican Island. The centennial walking trail there commemorates each of the national wildlife refuges that have been established in the 123 years since it first was established.
Okeechobee County has a parade and festival every Labor Day, and it brought out all sorts of characters this year: bikers, antique car enthusiasts, farmers, fishermen, the marching band, and numerous local pageant winners, to name just a few.
It’s also home to a fair number of cattle farmers and fishermen, since it’s situated on Lake Okeechobee.
Glades County, to the west, only has about 12,000 residents. It and Highlands County, to the north, are dominated by agriculture, including sugar cane and citrus farming.
A lot of farmers are reckoning with the spread of an invasive pest called mealybugs that feed on grasses like those that cattle graze and sugar cane.
Highlands County is also home to tons of retirees from the Midwest, especially in its historic county seat of Sebring. The town is centered on a charming circular park from which the rest of its streets radiate. Just a few years ago, it got a makeover from HGTV that’s inspiring a mix of pride and anxiety in its residents, some of whom are worried that it could attract too many visitors or new transplants.
Top issues
There was a huge mix of priorities voters said they want to see in their next representative: environmental conservation, expanded investment in farmers, bipartisanship, faith, support for the LGBTQ community, transparency and safer roads were just a few that people expressed concern over.
A lot of voters are worried about whether Florida’s exploding population post-pandemic is sustainable, and want to protect their communities and the environment.
"Grow responsibly, right? Grow with thoughtful planning," said Mia Sullivan, a retiree who lives in Vero Beach, in Indian River County. "Someone who doesn't care about it, they want to make the money now, and they're not going to care about how it affects infrastructure downstream, literally and figuratively."
Affordability was also on people’s minds, with several people identifying Trump’s tariffs and ongoing war in Iran as major factors in their quality of life.
And most voters hadn't heard about Florida’s redistricting, even when it affected them specifically.
About this project
Dispatches from the Ninth Congressional District is a four-part series exploring what potential voters throughout the newly redrawn and expanded area are looking for in the next person they elect to represent them in Congress. The district was redrawn to include more white Republican voters after President Trump urged red states to redistrict to try and hang onto power as midterm elections approached.
