Incumbents representing some of Florida’s Gulf Coast in Congress won on Election Day, most of them easily.
In a solidly Republican district, with 94 percent of the vote in, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., easily handled teacher Dana Cottrell, winning by a two to one margin. Webster had 67 percent of the vote while Cottrell lagged with 33 percent.
With 96 percent of the vote in, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., also held serve, taking 63 percent while businessman Kimberly Walker pulled 37 percent.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., will stay in Congress. With 91 percent of the vote in, she had 60 percent, enough to hold off Republican businesswoman Christine Quinn who pulled 40 percent.
Despite holding three statewide offices, including serving as governor, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., edged Republican Anna Luna, beating her 53 percent to 47 percent.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., R-Fla., had a nice win over state Rep. Margaret Good, D-Sarasota, beating her 56 percent to 44 percent.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., an increasingly vocal conservative on Capitol Hill, pulled 65 percent, enough to beat Democrat Allen Ellison, who got 34 percent, and Theodore Murray who was running with no party affiliation and took 1.3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
