Soto Wins District 9 Seat With 1,477-Vote Edge

Orlando, Fla. U.S. Rep. Darren Soto secured the District 9 seat in Central Florida Tuesday, holding a slim lead over Republican challenger Dan Green. As of early Wednesday afternoon, Soto had received 143,174 votes, or 50.3 percent of the total. Green had accumulated 141,697 votes, or 49.7 percent.

The race remained tight with 99 percent of ballots recorded. The margin between the two candidates stood at 0.52 percentage points. Florida law mandates a recount if the difference falls to 0.5 percentage points or less. One percent of votes remained uncounted at the time of reporting.

The Florida Democratic Party declared victory for Soto Tuesday night. A recount remained possible Wednesday morning as officials processed the final batch of ballots. Soto, a Democrat, represented the district for the first time in 2016. He is the first Puerto Rican to serve in Congress from Florida.

Soto faced a tougher contest this year compared to his 2024 win. In 2024, he defeated his opponent by more than 12 percentage points. A Republican-led redistricting effort altered the District 9 boundaries. The new map shifted the district toward a more Republican-leaning demographic composition.

Green, a military veteran from Vero Beach, gained ground in counties with higher Republican voting history. He performed better in Indian River and Polk County. Soto maintained his lead in Orange and Osceola County, which lean Democratic. The district also includes Okeechobee, Highlands, and Glades counties.

Soto issued a statement Tuesday night regarding the outcome. He described himself as humbled and grateful to the voters of the Ninth Congressional District. Soto noted that the Florida Republican legislature attempted to redraw the district to make it harder for him to win. He said his record in Congress demonstrated he was a reliable fighter for the area.

Soto told voters he had spoken with residents across the new district boundaries. He discussed local issues including the cost of groceries, gas, and health insurance. He stated that voters shared their struggles to afford basic necessities as costs rose.

The district was considered vulnerable to a Republican flip following the state-level map changes. Kathy Castor, a Tampa-area Democrat, also won her congressional race Tuesday night. Democrats gained control of both the U.S. House and Senate in national elections held Tuesday.

In Florida, Democrats flipped 15 seats in the state House. This action broke the Republican supermajority in the chamber. Ashley Herrmann, a Democrat from Tampa, won the state House District 69 seat. She is the first socialist elected to the Florida Legislature in over a century. Republicans retained control of the governor's mansion and the state Senate seat held by Ashley Moody.

Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried issued a statement following the election. She said voters sent a clear message after years of one-party control in Tallahassee. Fried said the party gained 15 House seats and flipped a Senate seat, changing the balance of power in the state Capitol.