Vern Buchanan defeats Martin Hyde in District 16 congressional primary race

Incumbent U.S. District 16 Rep. Vern Buchanan cruised to victory over Republican challenger Martin Hyde in Tuesday's primary election.

Buchanan won the race with a massive 86.2% of the vote over Hyde, the largest margin of victory the congressman has earned in a primary during his 16-year career.

He had 63,982 votes, compared to 10,206 votes for Hyde, with all precincts reporting.

Buchanan is now set to take on Democrat Jan Schneider and write-in candidate Ralph E. Hartman during the November general election.

“I'm humbled by the trust and confidence the people of Manatee and Hillsborough counties have placed in me,” Buchanan said.

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If Buchanan is re-elected in November, and the Republican party takes back the House majority, his seniority would put him at the top of a short list of candidates for the coveted chairmanship role the powerful Committee on Ways and Means.

The committee is the chief taw-writing committee in the House, and its jurisdiction includes tax policy, trade, welfare, social security, and Medicare.

Like many Republican lawmakers, Buchanan is pro-life and supports the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn its Roe v. Wade decision.

Buchanan said he believes abortion policy should be left to the states. He recently voted against a ban on assault weapons, and cast a nay vote just 10 days prior on the Respect for Marriage Act. He also called the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property "abuse of power."

“I will continue to fight the Far Left’s reckless agenda that has caused record-high inflation, porous borders, and soft-on-crime policies that have made our communities less safe," he said. "I look forward to carrying that message through November as we work to take back the U.S. House and get our country back on track."

During this year's redistricting process, Buchanan was drawn into a district with fellow Republican Greg Steube. Buchanan opted to run in District 16, which no longer included any voters from Sarasota County, but has Manatee and part of Hillsborough.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Vern Buchanan defeats Martin Hyde in District 16 primary election