Florida → House → District 7
The Florida House directory lists Jason Shoaf (R) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Hamilton, Lafayette, Liberty, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla and Parts of Jefferson, Leon.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
- Boundary Overview: Geographically the largest state legislative district in Florida, stretching across the coastal Big Bend, the Forgotten Coast, and inland across the Suwannee River Valley to the Georgia border. Bounded west by Bay and Calhoun counties (HD-6 and HD-5), north by the Georgia state line along Hamilton County, south by the Gulf of Mexico from Gulf County down through Dixie County, and east by Madison and Columbia counties.
- Incorporated Municipalities:
- Gulf: City of Port St. Joe (county seat; deepwater port bayfront), City of Wewahitchka (inland honey and freshwater hub).
- Franklin: City of Apalachicola (historic maritime and seafood port), City of Carrabelle.
- Wakulla: City of Sopchoppy, City of St. Marks.
- Taylor: City of Perry (county seat; forestry and pulp processing hub).
- Dixie: Town of Cross City, Town of Horseshoe Beach.
- Lafayette: Town of Mayo.
- Suwannee: City of Live Oak (county seat; agricultural and freight hub), Town of Branford.
- Hamilton: City of Jasper (county seat), Town of White Springs, Town of Jennings.
- Liberty: City of Bristol.
- Leon (Partial): Outer unincorporated rural stretches (including precincts around Woodville and Lake Talquin).
- Jefferson (Partial): Selected southern rural precincts bordering Taylor and Wakulla.
- CDPs & Unincorporated Communities: Crawfordville (Wakulla County seat and primary population center), Panacea, Alligator Point, Eastpoint, St. George Island, Cape San Blas, Steinhatchee, Suwannee, Day, Hosford, Sumatra.
- Transportation & Freight Corridors: Interstate 10 (traversing Hamilton, Suwannee, and Liberty corridors), Interstate 75 (running north-south through Hamilton County to the Georgia border), US Highway 98 (coastal lifeline across Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla), US Highway 19/98/27 (inland freight corridor through Taylor and Dixie), US Highway 90, State Road 20, and the CSX / Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad lines.
- Environmental & Conservation Assets: Apalachicola River and Bay estuary, Suwannee River basin, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Apalachicola National Forest (largest national forest in Florida), Wakulla Springs State Park, Ochlockonee River State Park, Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve, Dead Lakes State Recreation Area.
¶ Population and electorate
- District Apportionment Target: ~179,754 residents (2020 Census Florida House district apportionment standard).
- Voting Age Population (VAP) by Race/Ethnicity (District-Level Estimate):
- Non-Hispanic White: ~78.0%–81.5%
- Black / African American: ~10.5%–12.5% (with higher concentrations in Hamilton and Suwannee counties)
- Hispanic / Latino: ~4.5%–6.0%
- Asian / Multi-racial / Other: ~2.5%–3.5%
- Socioeconomic Indicators:
- Median Household Income: ~$45,000–$55,000 across rural interior and timber counties, balanced against higher-value coastal and vacation enclaves on St. George Island, Cape San Blas, and northern Wakulla bedroom tracts serving Tallahassee commuters.
- Poverty Rate: Averages ~17%–22% in inland counties (Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Liberty), designating several jurisdictions as Rural Areas of Opportunity (RAO).
- Natural Hazard & Disaster Resilience Factor: Vulnerable to Gulf storm surges, having absorbed direct landfalls and flooding from Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Idalia (2023), Hurricane Debby (2024), and Hurricane Helene (2024), driving major localized economic disruption in Perry, Steinhatchee, and Horseshoe Beach.
- Demographic Reference: Florida Senate District 7 Demographic Profile.
¶ Elections and political context
- Voter Distribution (Active Voters across District Footprint):
- Partisan Lean: R+38 to R+42 (Safe Republican).
- General Election History:
- 2024 General: Jason Shoaf (R) 77.4% def. Kenny Beasley (D) 22.6%.
- 2022 General: Jason Shoaf (R) re-elected unopposed.
- 2020 General: Jason Shoaf (R) 73.0% def. Taymour Khan (D) 27.0%.
- 2019 Special General: Jason Shoaf (R) 71.3% def. Ryan Terrell (D) 28.7%.
- Primary & Factional Dynamics: General elections are uncompetitive for Democrats. Intra-district politics center on resource distribution between coastal seafood/tourism communities (Franklin, Gulf, Wakulla) and inland agricultural, forestry, and corrections corridors (Taylor, Lafayette, Suwannee, Hamilton).
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Forestry, Wood Processing & Paper:
- Timberlands, sawmills, and biomass facilities form the private-sector backbone of Taylor, Dixie, Lafayette, and Suwannee counties. Major manufacturing includes the Georgia-Pacific cellulose mill infrastructure in Foley/Perry.
- Poultry, Agriculture & Mining:
- Suwannee and Hamilton counties lead in poultry operations (Pilgrim's Pride processing plant in Live Oak), watermelon, cattle, and row-crop farming.
- Hamilton County hosts significant phosphate mining and chemical fertilizer operations (Nutrien White Springs).
- Seafood, Aquaculture & Coastal Tourism:
- Commercial shellfish harvesting, oyster aquaculture, crabbing, and charter fishing operating out of Apalachicola Bay, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, Steinhatchee, and Panacea.
- Ecotourism anchored by scalloping seasons and state parks along the Forgotten Coast and Big Bend.
- Higher Education & Workforce Outposts:
- North Florida College (Madison, serving Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, and Taylor counties).
- Riveroak Technical College (Live Oak; vocational training).
- State Correctional Facilities:
- Major public-sector employer network: Suwannee Correctional Institution (Live Oak), Taylor Correctional Institution (Perry), Hamilton Correctional Institution (Jasper), Mayo Correctional Institution (Lafayette), and Franklin Correctional Institution (Carrabelle).
¶ People and organizations to map
- People and organization leads:
- The Shoaf Family / St. Joe Gas Company: Representative Jason Shoaf's family business and real estate development enterprises in Gulf County; deeply embedded in Panhandle commerce and port development.
- The Timber & Pulp Industry Leadership: Forestry landowner associations, timber transport contractors, and industrial cellulose corporate operators (e.g., Georgia-Pacific corporate entities) wielding major regional policy influence.
- Florida Farm Bureau Chapters: Active agricultural boards in Suwannee and Hamilton counties directing input on Suwannee River Water Management District regulations and agricultural tax exemptions.
- The Coastal Seafood Trade Associations: Apalachicola Bay commercial oyster and seafood worker associations, collaborating with state marine regulators on bay recovery and shell restoration funding.
- Regional Law Enforcement Coalition: Rural sheriffs—including Jared Miller (Wakulla), A.J. Smith (former Franklin sheriff), Wayne Padgett (Taylor), and Sam St. John (Suwannee)—frequently acting as core community conveners.
- Civic & Political Research Leads:
- Research Lead (Rural Hospital Networks): Doctors' Memorial Hospital (Perry), George E. Weems Memorial Hospital (Apalachicola), and AdventHealth Live Oak maintain dedicated legislative priorities around state disproportionate-share hospital formulas and rural EMS funding.
- Research Lead (Port Authorities & Inland Logistics): Port St. Joe Port Authority and Suwannee County Economic Development Office initiatives (such as the Catalyst Site industrial logistics park on I-10) serve as entities to monitor for industrial development appropriations and corporate partnerships.
- Research Lead (Post-Disaster Rebuilding Contractors): Marine dredging, civil demolition, and electrical utility co-ops (Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative) operating in hurricane recovery corridors across Steinhatchee and Horseshoe Beach.
- Strategic Cultural & Infrastructure Landmarks:
- Port St. Joe Deepwater Harbor: Industrial channel infrastructure supporting industrial revitalization along St. Joseph Bay.
- Apalachicola Historic District: Century-old working waterfront and historic commercial district.
- Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park: One of the world’s largest and deepest first-magnitude freshwater springs.
- Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak): Major private cultural and musical festival venue attracting hundreds of thousands of annual visitors.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent: Jason Shoaf (R - Port St. Joe)
- Chamber Leadership Roles:
- Chair: Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee Florida House of Representatives
- Standing Committee Assignments:
- Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee (Chair) Florida House of Representatives
- Budget Committee Florida House of Representatives
- Commerce Committee Florida House of Representatives
- Joint Legislative Budget Commission Florida House of Representatives
- Security & Threat Assessment Committee Florida House of Representatives
- Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee Florida House of Representatives
- (Verified via the Florida House Committee Assignments Profile for Rep. Shoaf).
- Key Policy Focus Areas & Legislative Priorities:
- Transportation & Economic Infrastructure Appropriations: Oversees the House budget allocation for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), economic development programs, and airport/port capital funds.
- Hurricane Disaster Relief & Small County Assistance: Key sponsor and advocate for emergency appropriations assisting rural counties impacted by hurricanes (e.g., local government bridge loans, timber farmer salvage relief, and aquaculture restoration).
- Rural Broadband & Digital Deserts: Securing ongoing state matches to deploy fiber and wireless broadband across low-density interior counties.
- Marine Resources & Coastal Inundation: Policies governing Apalachicola Bay restoration, coastal dredging permits, and flood mitigation for working waterfront communities.
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.