Governor Approves Florida's New Congressional Map

Gov. Rick Scott approved Florida’s redrawn congressional map Wednesday afternoon after the legislature convened for a special session.

The special session to redraw the state’s 2012 congressional boundaries ended Monday, days before it was scheduled to be completed and two weeks ahead of the state’s primary elections.

The new map redrew the district lines of Reps. Corrine Brown (D-5) of Jacksonville and Daniel Webster (R-10) of Greater Orlando.

Seven districts, including those of Brown and Webster, were affected by the proposed map changes.

The borders of Districts 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 17, an area stretching from Florida’s northeast Atlantic coast cutting southward across the state to the Southwest coast, were altered by the redrawn map.

Tallahassee Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis ruled in July that the drawing of the state’s 2012 congressional map violated Florida’s 2010 Fair Districts Amendment.

The state’s House of Representatives and Senate avoided making major alterations to Webster’s District 10. The primary change removed a panhandle in the eastern part the square-like district, a region that drew in a largely Republican bloc in Orlando into Webster’s district and has been cited as an example of gerrymandering.

District 10, represented by Congresswoman Brown, came under particular fire from Judge Lewis in his July ruling.

The congresswoman’s 2012 district meandered from Jacksonville, along the western bank of the St. Johns River, west to Gainesville, then south to Orange County.

Political observers characterized the 2012 drawing of Brown’s district as an attempt to gain the Northeast Florida ethnically black voting bloc.

Brown’s district was widened eastward in the new map, presumably diluting the longtime congresswoman’s district with white voters.

The shifted borders of Florida’s congressional seats also alter the makeup of District 7, represented by longtime Winter Park congressman and House Oversight committee member John Mica (R), a district that also serves Deltona.

House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz in a statement Monday said the new map “improves the visual and mathematical compactness of every impacted district.”

“The Legislature has now fully complied with Judge Lewis’ order,” said Weatherford and Gaetz in the joint statement.

Judge Lewis will decide later this month if the new maps will apply for votes cast in Florida’s November midterm elections or for elections thereafter.

Absentee votes cast by U.S. service members serving overseas for the state’s primary will be based on the 2012 map.

Florida’s primary election is Aug. 26, and the midterm general election is Nov. 4.