Land O' Lakes and Lutz residents will vote in a congressional race national Democrats have targeted after redistricting placed Pasco County inside Florida's 12th Congressional District.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican who has served in Congress since 2007 and has represented the 12th District since 2013, faces Democrat Kimberly Overman, a former Hillsborough County commissioner. The district is one of three Tampa Bay seats Democrats hope to flip, WFLA first reported Wednesday.

The redrawn district spans Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Before redistricting, Bilirakis' district covered Citrus and Hernando counties and most of Pasco, according to his official House website. Gov. Ron DeSantis championed the new map, which state lawmakers passed this spring. Republicans expected it to net as many as five additional congressional seats statewide, WFLA reported Sept. 7. Critics have argued the map violates Florida's voter-approved Fair Districts Amendment. Groups sued but could not block the map from taking effect for 2026, according to Politico.

The political landscape may be shifting. Fox News moved seven Florida congressional races toward Democrats in its Sept. 22 Power Rankings, according to Tampa Bay 28. Democrats have called the new map a potential "dummymander," a partisan redraw that backfires on the party that designed it.

Bilirakis stands by Trump despite tariff concerns

Bilirakis won his last two general elections with more than 70% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia. He chairs the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Bilirakis said on WFLA's "Battleground Florida" podcast Wednesday that he would not distance himself from President Donald Trump. That sets him apart from fellow Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who removed some Trump-related language from his campaign website. "I am not a big fan of the tariffs," Bilirakis said, but he added that the president "listens to me."

Former county commissioner leads the challengers

Overman served on the Hillsborough County Commission from 2018 to 2022, representing District 7. She lost her 2022 re-election bid to Republican Joshua Wostal, 52.4% to 47.6%, according to Ballotpedia. Her campaign focuses on affordability, health care and abortion rights. She had raised $127,000 as of May, according to a Hernando Sun report cited on her campaign website.

Overman won the Democratic primary Aug. 18, defeating Darren McAuley with 52.7% of the vote. On the same podcast, she said she wants to hold the Trump administration accountable, particularly Cabinet officials.

Branden Scrivener, who has no party affiliation, is also on the ballot. Pasco County has already mailed 47,000 vote-by-mail ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.