H. Rpt. 119-55 addresses "Dismissing the Election Contest Relating to the Office of Representative From the Fourteenth Congressional District of Florida". It was prepared by the Committee on House Administration as part of the committee's legislative and oversight work. Committee reports are among the most important primary sources in the legislative process. They explain what legislation does, why the committee believes it is necessary, what amendments were adopted, how much it costs, and what the committee's majority and minority members think. Courts and agencies refer to these reports for decades after enactment when interpreting how laws should be applied.
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House Report 119-55 - DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
[House Report 119-55]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-55
======================================================================
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
_______
April 9, 2025.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Steil, from the Committee on House Administration, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. Res. 312]
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest relating to the office of Representative from the
Fourteenth Congressional District of Florida, reports the same
to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be
agreed to.
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE FOURTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest in the Fourteenth District of Florida, reports the same
to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be
agreed to.
COMMITTEE ACTION
On March 11, 2025, by voice vote, a quorum being present,
the Committee agreed to a motion to report the resolution
favorably to the House.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1), the
Committee states that the findings and recommendations of the
Committee, based on oversight activities under House rule X,
clause 2(b)(1), are incorporated into the general discussion
section of this report.
STATEMENT OF BUDGET AUTHORITY AND RELATED ITEMS
The resolution does not provide new budget authority, new
spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or
decrease in revenues or tax expenditures and a statement under
House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2) and section 308(a)(1) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is not required.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3), the
Committee states that the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office did not submit a cost estimate and comparison under
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
On January 9, 2025, Robert Rochford (``Contestant'') filed
a Notice of Contest with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives pursuant to the Federal Contested Elections Act
(FCEA).\1\ Contestant ran as a Republican for the office of
Representative to the United States Congress representing the
Fourteenth Congressional District of the State of Florida in
the November 5, 2024, general election. The other principal
candidate for the Fourteenth Congressional District was
incumbent Democrat Kathy Castor (``Contestee''). On November
19, 2024, the Florida Secretary of State issued a Certificate
of Election to the Clerk of the House of Representatives,
certifying Contestee as the winner of the Fourteenth
Congressional District.
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\1\2 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 381-96.
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BASIS OF CONTEST
In his Notice of Contest, Contestant alleges that the
election for Congressional District 14 in Florida was marred by
irregularities in the administration of the election, including
statutory violations, misconduct, and election fraud.
STANDING
To have standing under the FCEA, a contestant must have
been a candidate for election to the House of Representatives
in the last preceding election and claim a right to the
Contestee's seat.\2\ Contestant was the Republican nominee and
his name appeared as a candidate for the Fourteenth
Congressional District on the official ballot for the November
5, 2024 election, thereby satisfying the standing requirement.
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\2\2 U.S.C. Sec. 382(a).
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TIMING/NOTICE
FCEA requires that a contestant ``shall, within thirty days
after the result of such election shall have been declared by
the officer or Board of Canvassers authorized by law to declare
such result, file with the Clerk and serve upon the contestee
written notice of his intention to contest such election.''\3\
The Notice of Contest was filed with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives on January 9, 2025, outside the prescribed time
periods of the FCEA.
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\3\Id.
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ANALYSIS
The Committee finds that Contestant has failed to timely
file his notice of contest with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives. Under the FCEA, the deadline for Contestant to
file with the Clerk of the House of Representatives to contest
this election would have been December 19, 2024, 30 days after
the Secretary of State of Florida officially certified the
election results for this contest. Contestant filed his notice
of contest with the Clerk on January 9, 2025, a date occurring
after the prescribed time period, therefore the Committee finds
that this claim must be dismissed due to untimely filing.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, the Committee therefore
concludes that this contest should be dismissed.
[all]