NE Florida's new congressmen sworn in Tuesday

Voters elect John Rutherford, Al Lawson to U.S. House

Al Lawson, John Rutherford sworn in as members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A former Jacksonville sheriff and a former Tallahassee-area state senator were sworn in Tuesday as freshman members of Congress, two of 10 new Floridians taking seats the U.S. House of Representatives.

Former Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford won a seven-way Republican primary in August, then defeated Democrat David Bruderly in November to win the District 4 seat of retiring Republican Rep. Ander Crenshaw. 

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"A lot of people are still recovering from damage from Hurricane Matthew, that's No. 1 -- serving the constituents," Rutherford said after his victory. "Then, No. 2, is looking at our armed services, keeping our commitment to our veterans, and also looking at the port, our infrastructure."

Democrat Al Lawson was elected to represent District 5, which stretches from Jacksonville's urban core to west of Tallahassee. He defeated longtime Rep. Corrine Brown in the primary as she faced a federal corruption indictment. He then faced Republican Glo Smith in the general election.

"I want the people to know that this is their seat. They just hired me to do a job for them, and I plan to do a great job for them," Lawson said in November.

Northeast Florida voters returned Republicans Ron DeSantis and Ted Yoho to Congress. DeSantis, of Palm Coast, defeated Democrat Bill McCullough in U.S. House District 6. Yoho, of Gainesville, defeated Democrat Ken McGurn in District 3.

In the Orlando area, political novice Stephanie Murphy, with a powerful financial push from national Democrats, including U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, ousted veteran U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Winter Park Republican who was seeking his 13th term in Congress.

Democrats targeted Mica because court-ordered redistricting had reshaped his district to include a sizable portion of Orlando, where a Democratic candidate would be favored.

Mica carried Seminole County by about 10,000 votes but lost Orange County by 20,000, resulting in a 51-49 percent election defeat.

Charlie Crist, a former one-term Republican governor who lost the 2014 governor's race as a Democrat, defeated U.S. Rep. David Jolly, an Indian Shores Republican, in the redrawn Congressional District 13, which is centered on Crist's hometown of St. Petersburg.

Crist edged Jolly, who was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2014 and flirted with a U.S. Senate bid earlier this year, by nearly 13,000 votes, or a 52-48 percent difference in a district that favored a Democratic candidate.

Neal Dunn, a Panama City Republican and physician, easily won election in Congressional District 2, which was previously represented by Gwen Graham, a Tallahassee Democrat who did not seek another term.

U.S. Army veteran Brian Mast, a Palm City Republican, beat Randy Perkins, a Delray Beach Democrat, for Congressional District 18, which was held by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Jupiter Democrat who lost in a U.S. Senate race.

In another highly watched race, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a Republican, beat Joe Garcia, a Democrat, by a 52-41 percent margin in Congressional District 26 in the Miami area.

The net effect of the election was a one-seat pickup for the Democrats in Florida, which gives Republicans a 16-11 edge in the delegation.

Across the U.S. Capitol, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was sworn in for the second term he won in November.

Members also began filing legislation for Congress to consider over the next two years. DeSantis, sworn in to his third term, unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit House members to three two-year terms and senators to two six-year terms. Trump has voiced support for similar ideas.

"Term limits for members of Congress will change the prevailing Beltway power structure, realign incentives for members of Congress and bring accountability to Washington, D.C.," DeSantis said.

Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan announced plans to file seven bills covering topics including a balanced federal budget, tax reform, screening social media sites of potential foreign visitors for signs of terrorist sympathies, the fight against citrus diseases and tougher penalties for people who kill police officers.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.