Florida Democrat Gwen Graham, a House Agriculture Committee member, narrowly won her first term in 2014 and will face a more heavily Republican electorate for re-election, thanks to redistricting approved by the state Supreme Court. “Despite Graham’s considerable political talents – she beat an incumbent to win this seat in 2014, one of the few bright spots for Democrats anywhere in the nation – the district is now too Republican for her to win,” says Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a political news site. The newly mapped district in the Panhandle voted 2-to-1 for Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. “It’s unclear what her political plans are but we don’t think any Democrat can win a district this Republican,” says the Crystal Ball, which now rates the seat as “safe Republican.” It previously listed the race as “leans Democratic.”
“The freshman was one of two Democrats nationwide who defeated a House Republican incumbent in 2014, but she now faces a pivotal decision as someone viewed as a future statewide candidate,” says National Journal. Graham, the daughter of former Florida Gov Bob Graham, was among the many Democrats who voted against “fast track” rules for voting on trade agreements such as the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.