Florida → House → District 51
The Florida House directory lists Hilary Holley (R) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Part of Polk.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
Reconfigured under Florida’s 2022 redistricting process, House District 51 covers northern and northeastern Polk County, bridging the Interstate 4 industrial-logistics corridor with the environmental expanse of the Green Swamp and the high-growth I-4/US 27 interchange belt.
- Municipalities Included (Full or Partial):
- City of Auburndale: Municipal anchor in the southwestern portion of the district, featuring major logistics hubs and recreation parks.
- City of Haines City: Rapidly expanding suburban and logistics center along US 27.
- City of Davenport: Fast-growing residential and vacation-home hub in northeast Polk.
- City of Polk City: Rural and small-town municipal anchor in northwest Polk, serving as the home base of both the current and previous incumbent.
- City of Lake Alfred: Established lakefront community situated between Auburndale and Haines City.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Rural Unincorporated Areas:
- Four Corners / Citrus Ridge (Polk County Sector): High-density unincorporated vacation rental and resort community adjacent to Osceola and Lake counties.
- Green Swamp Wilderness Area (Polk Tracts): Vast, critical ecological water recharge preserve spanning northern Polk.
- Loughman: Rapidly growing suburban community situated along the US 17-92 corridor near Osceola County.
- Key Transportation & Freight Corridors:
- Interstate 4 (I-4): Major statewide expressway traversing the district east-west, linking Tampa and Orlando.
- U.S. Highway 27: Primary multi-lane commercial spine running north-south through Davenport and Haines City.
- U.S. Highway 92: Connecting Auburndale, Lake Alfred, and Haines City.
- State Road 559 & State Road 33: Rural freight routes connecting I-4 to Polk City and Lake County.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific metrics based on enacted redistricting profiles; excludes non-coterminous countywide totals.)
- Target Population: Standard reapportionment single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents.
- Demographic Composition:
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Diverse, changing population. Traditional non-Hispanic White rural populations predominate in the Green Swamp, Polk City, and Lake Alfred, contrasted with rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino (predominantly Puerto Rican and South American diasporas) populations concentrated in northeast Polk (Davenport, Haines City, and Four Corners).
- Socioeconomic Cleavage: Distinct divide between established agricultural and cattle-ranching communities in the northern and western sections and service, hospitality, and distribution-center commuter populations in the eastern Interstate 4 corridor.
- Environmental & Land Use Dynamics:
- Contains the Green Swamp, an Area of Critical State Concern that provides the headwaters for four major Florida river systems (Withlacoochee, Hillsborough, Peace, and Ocklawaha).
- Intensive residential and warehouse-logistics sprawl along US 27 and I-4 placing strain on local aquifer recharge zones, stormwater infrastructure, and school capacities.
¶ Elections and political context
District 51 functions as a solid Republican district, sustained by high-turnout rural and small-town conservative precincts in Auburndale and Polk City, despite Democratic-leaning demographic growth in northeast commuter communities.
- Partisan Index: Safe Republican (R+10 to R+14 baseline).
- Recent General & Special Election History:
- March 24, 2026 Special General Election:
- Hilary Holley (R): 54.2% (8,411 votes)
- Edwin Pérez (D): 45.8% (7,114 votes)
- Margin: +8.4% R hold
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Josie Tomkow (R - Incumbent): 56.9% (51,050 votes)
- Octavio Hernandez (D - Challenger): 43.1% (38,683 votes)
- Margin: +13.8% R hold
- 2022 Republican Primary (August 23, 2022):
- Josie Tomkow: 67.4% (13,873 votes)
- Bill Olson: 32.6% (6,713 votes)
- General Election: General election canceled; Tomkow won re-election automatically without major party opposition.
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Agriculture & Agribusiness Associations:
- Florida FFA Foundation (Haines City / Polk County): Statewide headquarters for the Future Farmers of America Foundation, driving agricultural leadership, educational outreach, and workforce funding for tens of thousands of student members.
- Cattle Ranching & Citrus Groves: Extensive commercial cattle ranches and legacy citrus groves dotting the Green Swamp and the Polk City/Lake Alfred fringe.
- Freight Logistics & Warehousing Hubs:
- I-4 / US 27 Industrial Corridor: Multi-million-square-foot fulfillment and e-commerce distribution centers (including major hubs for regional retailers and national logistics providers) capitalizing on Central Florida distribution access.
- Tourism & Vacation Lodging Support:
- Four Corners Short-Term Rental Belt: Major concentrations of master-planned vacation home subdivisions that service visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort and regional theme parks.
- Higher Education & Research Facilities:
- University of Florida / IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC - Lake Alfred): Premier international research institute focused on citrus disease mitigation, greening solutions, and crop management.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Civic Coalitions & Agricultural Industry Networks:
- Florida Cattlemen's Association: Influential statewide agricultural group; incumbent's husband Donald "Dusty" Holley serves as its Executive Vice President.
- Polk County Farm Bureau: Influential agricultural policy association with substantial presence in local zoning, water permits, and legislative candidate recruitment.
- Greater Haines City Area Chamber of Commerce & Auburndale Chamber of Commerce: Core commercial advocacy organizations supporting warehouse infrastructure, utility expansion, and commercial permitting.
- Institutional Political Endorsements & Donors:
- High-Profile Endorsements: Endorsed during the special election by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, former State Senator Denise Grimsley, former Representative Neil Combee, and predecessor Josie Tomkow.
- Major Industry PACs: Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Phosphate Political Committee, and Florida Milk PAC.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Major short-term vacation rental property management associations in Four Corners and Davenport may maintain active monitoring and donor contact regarding state preemption over municipal and county vacation-rental ordinances.
- Research Lead: Commercial warehouse and logistics developers seeking annexations and utility hookups along the I-4 and US 27 interchange may interface regularly with local delegations regarding Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) interchange improvements and capacity grants.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Member: Hilary W. Holley
- Biographical Background: Born in Punta Gorda, Florida; resident of Polk City.
- Academic Background: Associate of Arts from Santa Fe College (2011); Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida (2012).
- Professional Background: Executive Director of the Florida FFA Foundation (2021–present); former Regional Director of External Affairs for Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis; former legislative assistant to State Senator Denise Grimsley; former education coordinator for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Commissioner Adam Putnam.
- House Committee Assignments:
- Entering office via the March 2026 special election to complete the 2024–2026 legislative term. Committee assignments are being integrated within the House committee structure, with institutional policy focus directed toward:
- Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
- Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee
- State Administration Budget Subcommittee
- Signature Policy Priorities: Preservation of the Green Swamp and rural land protection, agricultural education and FFA funding, securing water management permits for Central Florida ranchers, and infrastructure expansion to manage commuter freight density along the I-4 corridor.
Research text: Gemini browser session, 2026-10-04. Officeholder and county coverage: Florida House directory. The graph keeps these leads separate from the reference office record.