Florida, State Representative, District 4

Florida House of Representatives District 4
Current incumbent	Mel Ponder
Population	158,781
Race	79.8% White, 9.9% Black, 0.5% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.2% Some other race alone, 4.1% Two or More Races
Ethnicity	75.6% Single-Race Non-Hispanic White, 11.0% Non-Hispanic Black, 0.5% Hispanic Black, 6.8% Hispanic, 6.1% Non-Hispanic Other
Voting age	77.8% age 18 and over

Florida's fourth state house district is represented by Republican Representative Mel Ponder.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 158,781 civilians reside within Florida's fourth state house district. Florida state representatives represent an average of 156,678 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 133,186 residents.

About the office

Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Members of the House may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.

Qualifications

To run for the Florida House of Representatives, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve.

Salaries

State legislators
Salary	Per diem
$29,697/year	$152/day based on the number of days in Tallahassee.

Term limits

The Florida legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat. The Governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the Secretary of State to set the election dates and nominating deadlines. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Florida House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 18, 2020. The filing deadline is June 12, 2020.

2018

General election

General election for Florida House of Representatives District 4

Incumbent Mel Ponder (R) defeated Rebecca Koelzer (D) in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 4 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mel Ponder (R)	72.1	51,263
	Rebecca Koelzer (D)	27.9	19,804

The results have been certified.

Total votes: 71,067

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 4

Rebecca Koelzer advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 4 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Rebecca Koelzer (D)

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 4

Incumbent Mel Ponder advanced from the Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 4 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Mel Ponder (R)

The results have been certified.

2016

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.

Mel Ponder ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 4 general election.

Florida House of Representatives, District 4 General Election, 2016

Party	Candidate
	Republican	Mel Ponder (unopposed)
Source: Florida Division of Elections

Mel Ponder defeated Laurie Bartlett, Wayne R. Harris, Armand Izzo and Jonathan Tallman defeated in the Florida House of Representatives District 4 Republican primary.

Florida House of Representatives, District 4 Republican Primary, 2016

Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mel Ponder	29.07%	6,691
	Republican	Laurie Bartlett	15.86%	3,649
	Republican	Wayne R. Harris	20.82%	4,791
	Republican	Armand Izzo	9.57%	2,203
	Republican	Jonathan Tallman	24.68%	5,679
Total Votes			23,013

2014

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Matt Gaetz was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.

2012

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 8, 2012. Incumbent Matt Gaetz (R) was unopposed in both the general election and Republican primary.

Campaign contributions

From 2012 to 2016, candidates for Florida House of Representatives District 4 raised a total of $656,953. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $82,119 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Florida House of Representatives District 4

Year	Amount	Candidates	Average
2016	$452,931	6	$75,489
2014	$34,750	1	$34,750
2012	$169,272	1	$169,272
Total	$656,953	8	$82,119