A Florida judge just voided the stateâs congressional districts. Hereâs what you need to know.
Last night a circuit court judge in Florida voided the state's congressional map, citing a "secret, organized campaign" by Republican operatives that "made a mockery of the Legislature's transparent and open process of redistricting." The ruling concluded that District 5, held by Democrat Corrine Brown, and District 10, held by Republican Dan Webster, will need to be redrawn. From a purely practical standpoint, this means redrawing any surrounding districts as well, and possibly many of the state's 27 districts overall. "If one or more districts do not meet constitutional muster, then the entire act is unconstitutional," Judge Terry Lewis wrote.
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Democrat Corinne Brown, who's held the 5th District for more than 20 years, last night issued a blistering statement opposing the judge's ruling. As the Tampa Bay Times' Alex Leary describes in great detail, Brown partnered with Republicans to create that district in the 1990s. She's siding with them again in Florida's redistricting case, and it's easy to see the mutual benefit there: Brown gets a safe majority-minority district, while Republicans benefit from diluted minority representation in all the districts surrounding Brown's.
In effect, she's choosing political self-interest over the interest of her party. Forty-seven percent of votes in Florida's House elections in 2012 went to Democratic candidates, but Democrats won only 39 percent of the state's House seats. This is partly because Democratic-leaning minority voters were concentrated heavily in District 5, and by extension underrepresented everywhere else.
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I think she's gonna have a hard time against what she calls a "Bubba." And if you're hispanc, you is a white man 'cause y'all look alike.
Ya have to hand it to Those People who have made a successful career out of being black.
Last night a circuit court judge in Florida voided the state's congressional map, citing a "secret, organized campaign" by Republican operatives that "made a mockery of the Legislature's transparent and open process of redistricting." The ruling concluded that District 5, held by Democrat Corrine Brown, and District 10, held by Republican Dan Webster, will need to be redrawn. From a purely practical standpoint, this means redrawing any surrounding districts as well, and possibly many of the state's 27 districts overall. "If one or more districts do not meet constitutional muster, then the entire act is unconstitutional," Judge Terry Lewis wrote.
....
Democrat Corinne Brown, who's held the 5th District for more than 20 years, last night issued a blistering statement opposing the judge's ruling. As the Tampa Bay Times' Alex Leary describes in great detail, Brown partnered with Republicans to create that district in the 1990s. She's siding with them again in Florida's redistricting case, and it's easy to see the mutual benefit there: Brown gets a safe majority-minority district, while Republicans benefit from diluted minority representation in all the districts surrounding Brown's.
In effect, she's choosing political self-interest over the interest of her party. Forty-seven percent of votes in Florida's House elections in 2012 went to Democratic candidates, but Democrats won only 39 percent of the state's House seats. This is partly because Democratic-leaning minority voters were concentrated heavily in District 5, and by extension underrepresented everywhere else.
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I think she's gonna have a hard time against what she calls a "Bubba." And if you're hispanc, you is a white man 'cause y'all look alike.
Ya have to hand it to Those People who have made a successful career out of being black.
