This district is a region including the cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, making the district 99.99% urban. The population is about 80% white, and the Cook rating is D+2, as past races have all been very close. However, all congressional races this century have been won by Republicans except for in 2016.

The Democratic incumbent is Charlie Crist (D), who ran unopposed in his primary and was first elected in 2016. He supports strict criminal justice, teacher salary increases, and charter schools. The Republican challenger is George Buck (R). He has expressed support for strict immigration rules, opposition to DACA, supports private health care, supports tax cuts, and is focused on environmental protections in Florida.