Florida House of Representatives
Lower house of the Florida Legislature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted.[2] The House is composed of 120 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 180,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin immediately upon their election.
Florida House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Florida Legislature | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | 4 consecutive terms (8 years) |
| History | |
| Founded | May 26, 1843 |
| Preceded by | Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida |
New session started | March 4, 2025 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 120 |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
Vacant
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Authority | Article III, Constitution of Florida |
| Salary | $18,000/year + per diem (Subsistence & Travel)[1] |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 5, 2024 |
Next election | November 3, 2026 |
| Redistricting | Legislative control |
| Motto | |
| In God We Trust | |
| Meeting place | |
| House of Representatives Chamber Florida Capitol Tallahassee, Florida | |
| Website | |
| Florida House of Representatives | |
| Rules | |
| Florida House of Representatives Rules | |
The Republicans hold a supermajority in the State House with 84 seats; Democrats are in the minority with 33 seats. Three seats are vacant.
Term limits
Qualifications
Florida legislators must be at least twenty-one years old, an elector and resident of their district, and must have resided in Florida for at least two years prior to election.[5]
Legislative session
Each year during which the Legislature meets constitutes a new legislative session.
Regular legislative session
The Florida Legislature meets in a 60-day regular legislative session each year. Regular legislative sessions in odd-numbered years must begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. Under the state Constitution, the Legislature can begin even-numbered year regular legislative sessions at a time of its choosing.[5]
Special session
Special legislative sessions may be called by the governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate president and House speaker, or by a three-fifths vote of all legislators. During any special session the Legislature may only address legislative business that is within the purview of the purpose or purposes stated in the special session proclamation.[6]
Powers and process
Leadership
| Position | Name | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Daniel Perez | Republican | 116 |
| Speaker pro tempore | Wyman Duggan | Republican | 12 |
| Majority leader | Tyler Sirois | Republican | 31 |
| Minority leader | Fentrice Driskell | Democratic | 67 |
Composition
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| End of 2020–22 legislature | 76 | 42 | 118 | 2 |
| Start of previous (2022–24) legislature | 85 | 35 | 120 | 0 |
| End of previous legislature | 83 | 36 | 119 | 1 |
| Start of current (2024–26) legislature | 85 | 35 | 120 | 0 |
| December 9, 2024[a] | 86 | 34 | ||
| December 27, 2024[b] | 87 | 33 | ||
| January 1, 2025[c] | 86 | 119 | 1 | |
| June 9, 2025[d] | 85 | 118 | 2 | |
| June 10, 2025[e] | 87 | 120 | 0 | |
| July 18, 2025[f] | 32 | 119 | 1 | |
| August 18, 2025[g] | 86 | 118 | 2 | |
| September 1, 2025[h] | 31 | 117 | 3 | |
| September 2, 2025[i] | 32 | 118 | 2 | |
| September 18, 2025[j] | 85 | 117 | 3 | |
| November 18, 2025[k] | 84 | 116 | 4 | |
| December 9, 2025[l] | 33 | 117 | 3 | |
| Latest voting share | 71.8% | 28.2% | ||
Members, 2024–2026
*Elected in a special election.
District map
Past composition of the House of Representatives
From 1874 to 1996, the Democratic Party held majorities in the Florida House of Representatives. Following sizable GOP gains in the 1994 election, which significantly reduced the Democratic Party majority in the Florida House, Republicans captured a majority in the 1996 election. The Republican Party has been the majority party since that time in the House.
Additional information on the past composition of the Florida House of Representatives can be found in Allen Morris's The Florida Handbook (various years, published every two years for many years).
Notable former members
- Howell Lancaster (1911–1972), leader of the Pork Chop Gang
- E. Bert Riddle (1893–1979), expelled member of the Florida House
- C. A. Roberts (1903–1973), Lake Butler City Council member and first commissioner elected to the Board of Union County, Florida
- F. Eugene Tubbs (1935–1978), co-creator of Gatorade
See also
Notes
- Susan Valdes (District 64) changed parties from Democratic to Republican[7]
- Hillary Cassel (District 101) changed parties from Democratic to Republican[8]
- Republican Joel Rudman (District 3) resigned effective this date to run for Congress[9]
- Republican Debbie Mayfield (District 32) resigned effective this date to run for State Senate[10]
- Republicans Nathan Boyles and Brian Hodgers elected to replace Joel Rudman (District 3) and Debbie Mayfield (District 32).[11]
- Democrat Joseph Casello (District 90) died.[12]
- Republican Mike Caruso (District 87) resigned after being appointed Palm Beach County clerk of court and comptroller.[13]
- Democrat LaVon Bracy Davis (District 40) resigned effective this date to run for State Senate.[14]
- Democrat RaShon Young elected to replace LaVon Bracy Davis (District 40).[15]
- Republican John Temple (District 52) resigned after being named president of Lake–Sumter State College.[16]
- Republican Vicki Lopez (District 113) resigned after being appointed to the Miami-Dade County Commission.[17]
