From 2013 to 2017, the district includes Sarasota County and most of Manatee County. After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, the district was moved northwards to include southern Hillsborough County, while southern Sarasota County was moved into the17th district.
The seat became vacant after Foley's sudden resignation on September 29, 2006, after it became public thathe had sent inappropriate emails to male teenage former congressional pages.[7]Foley's resignation occurred too late under Florida law to take his name off the ballot. Therefore, Foley's name remained on the ballot, but votes cast for him went to his replacement,State RepresentativeJoe Negron,who would have been duly elected had Foley won the November 7, 2006 election.[8]Since Mahoney won the election, the question did not arise.[9]
Incumbent Tim Mahoney ran for reelection in2008.His opponent wasTom Rooney,a formerJAG officer,Special Assistant United States Attorney, and professor at theUnited States Military Academy.Rooney is also the grandson of the founder of thePittsburgh Steelers.While Mahoney was initially favored, after the scandal involving his mistress, the race shifted toward "likely Republican" on theCook Political Report.