Vern Buchanan wins 8th term in Congress for FL-District 16

Less than an hour after polls closed, U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan learned he will spend an eighth term in office for Florida District 16, which includes southern Hillsborough County, all of Manatee County, and northern Sarasota County.

The congressman's family and friends joined nearly 500 residents at Robart's Arena to watch the votes come in, and then celebrate the results with the Sarasota GOP.

The congressman faced representative Margaret Good.

The two both spent a lot of money on campaigning and local ads.

The congressman’s campaign focused on creating jobs and laid out his 10 point plan to restore the economy. That was enough to get voters to re-elect the long-time congressman.

Unofficial results show Buchanan ended up with a 10-point lead over Good.

He says while he's a Republican, Buchanan said the need for unity in the coming weeks is crucial for the greater good of the country.

“You need to work with the other side to get things done. Congress is very divided, it has been divided, but I look and I tell the Democrats, ‘Hey, we are all Americans. Let’s find a way to work together,’ and 80% of the time, we can get agreement on stuff, if they’re open-minded.” 

Representative Good released a statement saying:

“I’m very proud of the campaign we ran and grateful for the thousands of volunteers and supporters who stood up for our values. It has been an honor to be the Democratic nominee for this district, and I am grateful for all of the support.”

Congressman Buchanan says on top of the economy and jobs he will also continue to focus on water quality. The surrounding area had been hit hard by red tide and it's something he said he doesn't want to see happen again.

It was a double celebration for the Buchanan family. The congressman's son was also reelected to his seat in the Florida House of Representatives.