Kimberly Overman, a Democrat and former Hillsborough County commissioner, is running for Florida's 12th Congressional District. She faces Republican Gus M. Bilirakis and Branden Scrivener, who has no party preference, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Overman won the Democratic primary on Aug. 18 with approximately 53% of the vote, defeating Darren McAuley, according to Florida Politics. She originally filed to run in Florida's 15th Congressional District against Rep. Laurel Lee, then shifted to CD-12 after mid-decade redistricting signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2026 placed her home in the redrawn district.

Overman said on her campaign website that she was raised in a working-class family that faced housing insecurity and that her mother juggled multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. She said she put herself through college and built a financial advisory firm focused on ethical financial guidance.

We published a candidate profile of Bilirakis in October.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic

District: Florida's 12th Congressional District

Residence: Tampa Bay region, where Overman said she has lived and worked for more than 40 years across Hillsborough and Pasco counties

Education: Bachelor's degree in agricultural resource economics, University of Maryland, 1982; high school diploma, Woodrow Wilson High School, 1976

Family: Overman describes herself as a mother and grandmother who is raising her grandson as his legal guardian, according to her campaign website

Experience and public service

Overman served as a Hillsborough County commissioner from 2018 to 2022, according to BallotReady. She said she served as chair of the commission in 2022. She lost her 2022 re-election bid to Republican Joshua Wostal by a little more than 5 percentage points, Florida Politics reported.

As commissioner, Overman said she led during the COVID-19 pandemic, championing emergency support for small businesses, childcare providers and vulnerable residents. She said she pushed for expanded public health programs, affordable housing initiatives and more equitable infrastructure investment.

Overman holds a Certified Financial Planner designation, according to her campaign website. Her professional background includes serving as president and CEO of the Housing Leadership Council of Tampa Bay, according to her LinkedIn profile. BallotReady lists her as CEO and president of The Financial Well since 1998 and owner of Heights Exchange LLC.

On the issues

Overman's stated positions come from her campaign website and her responses published by Florida Politics and BallotReady.

Affordability and housing: Overman said she would fight for increased investment in affordable housing, expanded transportation options and stronger support for working families and small businesses. She said she considers housing, transit and child care essential infrastructure.

Climate and environment: Overman said climate resilience is an affordability issue for Florida families, pointing to flooding, rising insurance costs and extreme heat. She said she would fight for resilient infrastructure, protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and environmental justice.

Healthcare: Overman said she would work to lower prescription drug costs, expand coverage, especially mental health care, and protect access to reproductive services. She said Congress should focus on safeguarding Social Security and Medicare and on protecting the Affordable Care Act. She said she would fight to restore and protect the right to abortion.

Education: Overman said she would advocate for stronger investments in schools, competitive teacher pay and expanded access to early childhood education and vocational training.

Public safety: Overman said she supports strong law enforcement paired with investments in mental health services, youth engagement and community-led crime prevention.

Endorsements

Overman has received endorsements from national party figures and advocacy organizations, according to Florida Politics and BallotReady:

  • Suzan DelBene, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which added CD-12 to its "Districts in Play" list
  • Ken Martin, Democratic National Committee
  • AFL-CIO
  • Equality Florida Action, Inc.
  • Ruth's List Florida
  • Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus
  • Hillsborough County LGBTA Caucus

The general election is Nov. 3.